Lewis Hamilton expressed strong dissatisfaction with race officials’ decision to penalize him with a 10-second penalty during the Mexican Grand Prix. The penalty was imposed for leaving the track on turn four while in a battle with Max Verstappen, which Hamilton felt gave him an unfair advantage.
The penalty dealt a significant blow to Hamilton, who was running in third place after 17 laps of the race. Hamilton immediately voiced his disagreement with the decision over the team radio when informed of the penalty by his engineer.
Hamilton attributed the error to the track conditions at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, citing low grip levels as a contributing factor. He swiftly returned to the pits to serve the penalty, rejoining the race in 14th position, adversely affecting his chances of winning.
Shortly after Hamilton’s penalty, Fernando Alonso was forced to retire from the race due to a mechanical issue, becoming the third driver to do so during the Mexican Grand Prix. Liam Lawson and Nico Hulkenberg also faced early retirements due to mechanical problems.
Heading into the race, Hamilton was sixth in the Drivers’ Championship standings, trailing leader Oscar Piastri by 202 points. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, held a position one spot above Hamilton, with a 50-point advantage over the seven-time Formula 1 champion.
Despite a challenging season, Hamilton has yet to secure a Grand Prix victory, with his best finishes being fourth place in several races. While he is no longer in contention for the Drivers’ Championship, Hamilton aims to finish the season strongly in the upcoming races in Brazil, Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi.