Lewis Hamilton ‘let down’ by FIA as ‘double standards’ penalty blasted

Lewis Hamilton said he was “let down” by the FIA at the Mexican Grand Prix, as he branded his 10-second penalty an example of “double standards”.

Hamilton was hit with the sanction after an incident also involving former title rival Max Verstappen, one which saw Hamilton cut the grass, return to the track, and gain a lasting advantage in the eyes of the FIA stewards.

Lewis Hamilton ‘let down’ by the FIA

After a chaotic start to the race, Hamilton and Verstappen resumed battle on Lap 6. Verstappen dived down the inside of the Ferrari at Turn 1. Side-by-side into T2, Verstappen went onto the grass, and returned to the track ahead of Hamilton.

On the run down to Turn 4, Hamilton shaped up his counter attack. He took the outside line, locked up the front right, and found himself as the driver on the grass this time.

Then came the critical moment for Hamilton, as instead of taking the defined escape road route back onto the track, he went across the track and re-joined in third. The stewards did not penalise Hamilton in regards to compliance with the race directors’ instructions, but did find him guilty of leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage.

Hamilton was therefore hit with a 10-second time penalty. He ultimately finished the race P8, while Verstappen raced on to third.

Hamilton did not agree with his penalty, and made that abundantly clear as he spoke in the media pen post-race. Formula 1’s governing body the FIA found itself in the firing line.

“Ultimately, I feel very let down by the governing body,” said Hamilton.

“It’s double standards, as you can tell. It is what it is.”

The FIA gave its version of events after issuing Hamilton’s penalty, reaffirming the true grounds for their decision.

“Car 44 (HAM) locked brakes, left the track at Turn 4 and used the grass area while rejoining in the direction of Turn 5,” the stewards note.

“As the driver was unable to follow the route prescribed by the Race Director along the “yellow line” due to an excess of speed, no breach of the Race Director’s Notes is deemed to have occurred.

“However, by leaving the track and cutting the corner, the driver gained a lasting advantage, overtaking Car 1 (VER) and failing to give back the position thereafter.

“The standard penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage is therefore imposed.”

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Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur was very much on Hamilton’s side in this stand-off. He did not believe that the punishment matched the transgression.

Vasseur said: “This cost us P4… One thing is the penalty, for sure, that we didn’t follow the race director’s notes.

“But 10 seconds, I don’t remember when someone took 10 seconds.

“If you consider, if you have the global picture, saying that Max cut the corner before, he cut the chicane, in the grass, 100 metres. I think it’s not very well managed, honestly.

“Because you are in Mexico, on top of this, I don’t say that you have to adapt the penalty to the track, but you have to understand what you are doing.

“He took the 10 seconds. This dropped us at the queue of the group and we can’t overtake.

“It’s after the pit-stop that you have no issue to recover. This cost us, probably P4, even with the five seconds, I think we were still P4. But with 10 seconds…”

Hamilton sits sixth in the Drivers’ Championship standings with four rounds to go, a position and 64 points behind teammate Charles Leclerc.

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