Formula 1 stewards have disclosed the reasons behind penalizing Lewis Hamilton at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Hamilton came under scrutiny for veering off the track while in a battle with Max Verstappen. Verstappen urged for Hamilton to face consequences, leading to an investigation by the stewards.
Following the investigation, Hamilton was initially cleared for not using the designated escape route as instructed by the race director due to locking his brakes before turn four. The stewards justified Hamilton’s actions based on the excessive speed he carried, making it impractical for him to comply with the race director’s directive.
Although the stewards opted not to penalize the Ferrari driver for this specific incident, they imposed a 10-second time penalty for gaining an unfair advantage by leaving the track. This penalty impacted Hamilton, who dropped to eighth place after serving it during his pit stop.
Hamilton expressed frustration over the penalty on the radio, highlighting the challenging track conditions. Despite the setback, he acknowledged the nature of motor racing and the points he managed to secure.
In media interviews, Hamilton appeared visibly disappointed and briefly commented on the race’s outcome, emphasizing the unpredictability of motor racing. When addressing the incident that led to his penalty, he defended his actions, noting the difficult conditions he faced while trying to keep his car on track and recover safely.