Lewis Hamilton calls out FIA as Brundle casts verdict ‘others will not agree’ with

Lewis Hamilton was left far from impressed after receiving a 10-second penalty during the Mexican Grand Prix, having left the track in combat with Max Verstappen.

However, analysing the incident on Sky F1’s ‘The F1 Show’ podcast, Martin Brundle determined that Hamilton’s penalty was the correct decision, even though he was sure “others will not agree” with his conclusion.

Lewis Hamilton Mexican GP penalty deserved? Martin Brundle says so

After partaking in a four-way battle at the start, Hamilton and Verstappen resumed combat on Lap 6. Verstappen dived down the inside of Hamilton at Turn 1, as the pair went side-by-side through part two of the chicane. That prompted Verstappen to cut over the grass and re-join the track third ahead of Hamilton.

Coming into T4, Hamilton looked to strike back on the outside line, but locked the front right and went across the grass. He returned to the asphalt in front of Verstappen.

The squabbles opened the door for Haas’ Oliver Bearman, who was able to muscle his way past Verstappen’s Red Bull into fourth.

Hamilton’s re-join did not sit well with the FIA stewards, who gave Hamilton a 10-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. He ultimately finished P8, and after the race, said he felt “very let down” by the FIA, and that his penalty was an example of “double standards” from the governing body.

Hamilton’s complaints were put to Brundle, who explained why he felt the stewards got it right, both in terms of penalising Hamilton, and not sanctioning Verstappen over the earlier battle.

“I think they’re two separate incidents down there at Turn 4,” Brundle began.

“For me, Max had done enough to claim the corner, because he has to be alongside Lewis’s mirror at the apex. In fact, he was slightly ahead of his front axle, so he owned the corner. He is then entitled to take a normal racing line. He’s won that corner.

“And in a chicane, they will tend to take it based on the first corner, but they may consider apex two and apex three, but generally, it’s the first corner where you win the corner, and therefore you probably win the chicane.

“Now, did he dive? Was it overoptimistic. That’s in the regulations, and so this is the grey area where you need a referee to make the decision.

“You could also call that motor racing. Of course, you’ve got to dive up the inside of somebody to actually overtake them, haven’t you? So I think it’s very grey.

“Overall, Lewis left the door open a bit, and Max went through it, was under control, didn’t lock his front axle up, therefore won the corner and was entitled to take the racing line. So actually, in the end, I wouldn’t have given Max a penalty for that.

“He then will say, ‘Well, I had to go across the grass on Turn 3 because Lewis came up the inside of me.’ You can argue, did then Lewis claim Turn 2 by getting alongside. So it’s very difficult, it’s very difficult to write, but they are the guidelines. I’m pretty sure Max will know them at least as well as any other driver, if not better.

“Down into Turn 4, Lewis, I don’t know why they don’t all just go straight on in Turn 4, to be honest. Follow the little road, back up a bit on the way out, not to have a lasting advantage. Why they bother taking Turns 4 and 5, which are really slow, I don’t know, because that little road looks really handy.

“Lewis, didn’t follow the route, had a big advantage, didn’t really go to a lot of trouble to back up and hand it back again, so either the position or 100 or two meters or something.

“And so, unless there are mitigating circumstances, that has to be a 10-second, not a five-second penalty.

“So that’s my clarity, as far as my brain is concerned. But others will not agree, no doubt.”

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Brundle’s stance got the nod of approval from 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, who was on Sky F1 punditry duties in Mexico.

“Deserved penalty,” he said in a further blow to Hamilton.

“It sounds tough, 10 seconds, and it was a lot in that race, but the problem is, well, you couldn’t give the place back to Max, obviously. Had he not cut across the track, he would have lost a position or two the way he had gone wide anyway.

“The problem is, he got out with a 100-meter lead and just kept it. That’s a huge advantage on the whole pack, not just on gaining a position or not, and that was the big issue, and he didn’t even try or bother to actually slow down a bit.”

Verstappen went on to join dominant victor Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc – Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate – on the podium. Verstappen is now just 36 points behind new Drivers’ Championship leader Norris with four grands prix and two sprints still to come.

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