Why Hamilton got a time penalty at Mexico GP

Main outcome

The stewards have explained why Lewis Hamilton received a time penalty in the Mexican Grand Prix. Max Verstappen received no penalty for the collision at Turn 1. The stewards investigated several moments in the battle between the two drivers.

The collision at Turn 1

It started with an overtaking attempt in Turn 1 on lap six. Verstappen dived in on the inside. Coming out of the corner, the two touched briefly. As a result, Hamilton slid slightly to the outside.

The stewards ruled that Verstappen's car was clearly in front of Hamilton's mirror at the inside point. That meant Verstappen was entitled to the ideal line. The collision remained light. Neither car sustained any damage. Therefore, the stewards qualified it as a racing incident and imposed no penalty.

Turn 2 and Turn 3

After the collision, the cars drove side by side for a short time. Verstappen hit the grass at Turn 2 and returned after Turn 3. In doing so, he did not lose a penalty, according to the stewards.

Turn 4: two investigations

Shortly afterwards, discussion arose on Turn 4 about rejoining the track. Hamilton came to the corner at high speed and stalled. He went into the run-off lane, cutting across the grass to get back in front of Verstappen.

This resulted in two investigations. The first was about not using the prescribed asphalt exit lane. The stewards felt the car had too much speed to safely use that asphalt lane. Therefore, they saw a just cause for it.

The second investigation dealt with whether Hamilton had gained a permanent advantage by leaving the track. The stewards decided that this was the case. Hamilton had gained a position and did not give it back. He was therefore given a 10-second time penalty.

Stewards' viewpoint

Their main arguments were brief: Verstappen had enough of the front for Hamilton on entering Turn 1 to lay claim to the line. The wheels touched lightly, leading to no sporting consequence. By Turn 4, on the other hand, Hamilton had gained a lasting advantage by using the grass.

Response from Hamilton

Hamilton reacted critically after the race. He called the incident in Turn 1 simply racing. He said he found it hard to understand why he was the only one to get a 10-second penalty.

Brief overview

• Turn 1: minor collision, assessed as racing incident, no penalty.
• Turn 2/3: Verstappen temporarily on the grass, no penalty.
• Turn 4: Hamilton cut across the grass and gained a lasting advantage.
• Consequence: Hamilton received a 10-second time penalty.

The stewards also referred to previous similar cases where no further action was taken. But in this case, track abandonment on Turn 4 did result in a penalty.