Lewis Hamilton might have felt a Ferrari podium was finally within reach after surviving a chaotic opening lap in Mexico City.
He managed to hold onto third place through the first few corners, steering clear of trouble as chaos unfolded around him.
And with Charles Leclerc among the drivers who took to the grass to avoid contact, there was even a chance he could move up another spot.
But Hamilton’s hopes faded after he picked up a 10-second penalty while fighting Max Verstappen.
The stewards ruled that Hamilton had left the track and gained an advantage, though he’d been pushed wide at turn four just moments before.
Verstappen had made an aggressive move on Hamilton earlier in the lap that went unpunished, leaving many fans questioning why only one incident was penalised. The FIA will need to provide clarity on these rules soon.
Calls for F1 to review track limits rules after Hamilton penalty in Mexico
After making a move on Hamilton into turn one, Verstappen took to the grass but didn’t return the place.
George Russell backed Hamilton’s concerns when he was asked about the rules, having lost out to both Verstappen and Leclerc during the opening lap.
The current FIA guidelines lack clarity, especially given how similarly both drivers handled their respective situations.
Speaking after the race, Hamilton admitted: “It was fun at the start and didn’t end up the way I had hoped, but it’s motor racing.”
He also explained why he couldn’t stay on the track following his turn four incident with Verstappen, stating: “No. It’s very dirty offline, and I did the best I could to bring the car back to the track safely, and that’s all I could hope for.”
Team principal Fred Vasseur added: “The penalty for Lewis, I think it is a bit harsh,” said Vasseur after the race.
“For sure, he didn’t keep the line until the end, but he lost the car on the grass, and it was not easy to maintain. But 10 seconds is very harsh because this dropped us behind all of the group and we lost six or seven positions. But it is like it is.”
Vasseur was asked whether a maiden Ferrari podium could have been possible for Hamilton without the penalty and said: “It’s difficult to predict and to know, but he was in front of Bearman and if he got five seconds he was still in that group behind with two Mercedes.”
Karun Chandhok believes Lewis Hamilton’s penalty in Mexico was too harsh
In a post-race discussion, Sky Sports F1 pundit and former driver Karun Chandhok weighed in: “In terms of Max versus Lewis, Max dived into the inside of the apex at turn one, and he’s kind of driving to the driving standards guidelines which really, it’s exposing another loophole like we saw in Austin last year where the drivers are racing to the apex.
“Max got there first, and then there was a bit of tit for tat in that first sector, but in the end, Verstappen gained that position.
“When they got to turn four, both drivers locked up and went straight on. Verstappen was clearly in front of the straight down to turn four. Lewis went across the grass, and the stewards let him off for that because really he should have gone on through the escape road.
“But then they judged, and I think rightly so, that he gained a lasting advantage because he ended up coming out in front of Verstappen and also gained some time. I think you could have given him just five seconds instead of 10.”
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The FIA must address this issue moving forward. Fans are growing increasingly frustrated over what they see as inconsistent penalty decisions.
For Hamilton, nothing will reverse the stewards’ decision, and he’ll have to hope he can earn his first top-three Grand Prix finish of the season at Interlagos for Ferrari’s sake.
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