Lewis Hamilton has questioned why he was given a penalty within the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix for leaving the observe and gaining a bonus, given the dearth of punishments for others in the beginning of the race.
Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen each reduce Flip 2 however Lando Norris retained the lead and Hamilton slotted into second place after a four-wide entry. Leclerc rejoined on the head of the sphere and let Norris by, whereas Verstappen additionally dropped behind Hamilton when again on observe, with no penalties handed out.
Hamilton then acquired a 10-second time penalty for going off observe at Flip 4 when combating with Verstappen in a while, with the stewards deeming he gained a long-lasting benefit by overtaking Verstappen with the transfer.
“I used to be just about the identical as all the opposite individuals round me…” Hamilton stated of that incident.
“I had a terrific begin, and good braking into Flip 1, I used to be into P2. I navigated by Flip 2 and Flip 3, I didn’t go off-track, others reduce it, bought the place and didn’t get penalties. It was fairly nuts.”
There was gentle contact between Hamilton and Verstappen because the Pink Bull driver initially tried to overhaul in the beginning of the sequence that led to the penalty, however Hamilton had no complaints concerning the combat at that stage.
“That’s… It felt like racing. I used to be high-quality there. It was simply the reducing, and I’m the one one to get a 10-second penalty.
“I pinched the appropriate entrance, I went to go down the exit highway, however it was the dustiest place on earth. I couldn’t gradual the automobile down, so I ended up reducing the grass.”
Ferrari staff principal Fred Vasseur additionally felt the punishment handed out to Hamilton was harsh, significantly given the impression it had on dropping him from third on the highway to a end of eighth place.
“If you happen to think about the worldwide image, seeing that Max reduce the nook earlier than, he reduce the chicane, on the grass, 100 meters. I believe it is not very properly managed, actually,” he stated. “Since you are in Mexico, on high of this, I do not say that you need to adapt the penalty to the observe, however you need to perceive what you’re doing.
“[Hamilton] took the ten seconds, this dropped us to the again of the queue of the group and we will not overtake. It is after the pit cease that you don’t have any probability to recuperate. This price us, most likely P4. Even with a five-second penalty, I believe we have been nonetheless P4. However with 10 seconds…”
