Lewis Hamilton Fumes Over Harsh Penalty After Fierce Duel With Max Verstappen in Mexico
Lewis Hamilton has voiced his frustration and disbelief after receiving a 10-second time penalty during the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix — a decision he believes unfairly ruined what could have been a strong result following an intense on-track battle with Max Verstappen.
The seven-time world champion started from third on the grid and got away cleanly, immediately challenging for the lead as the field barreled into the first corner. In a chaotic opening sequence, both Charles Leclerc and Verstappen ran off the circuit and briefly onto the grass, while Hamilton held his line and managed to navigate through Turns 1, 2, and 3 cleanly. Despite this, he remained in third behind Lando Norris and Leclerc, who managed to rejoin ahead of him.
Just a few laps later, Verstappen launched an aggressive move down the inside of Turn 1, trying to snatch position from Hamilton. Contact between the two rivals caused Hamilton to run wide, while Verstappen himself cut the following corner as he rejoined the track ahead. The tense wheel-to-wheel moment immediately brought back memories of their fiery 2021 championship clashes.
Moments later at Turn 4, Hamilton locked up his brakes and was forced to take the escape road. In an effort to regain control, he cut across the grass and re-entered the track still in front of Verstappen. The stewards soon determined that Hamilton had gained an unfair advantage by leaving the circuit and handed him a 10-second time penalty — one he served during his first pit stop.
The penalty effectively destroyed Hamilton’s race, leaving him unable to recover and finishing a disappointing eighth. For the Mercedes driver, the decision was not just frustrating but confusing, as he felt others who had also gone off-track earlier in the race escaped punishment.
“I had a great start, and braking into Turn 1, I was into P2,” Hamilton explained to reporters, including RacingNews365. “I went through Turns 1, 2, and 3 cleanly and didn’t go off track. But others cut across and held their positions — and somehow, I’m the only one to get a penalty.”
Hamilton made it clear that while the battle with Verstappen was aggressive, he saw it as fair racing. He didn’t blame the Dutchman for their earlier contact and expressed more disappointment with the consistency of the stewards’ decisions.
“It felt like racing. I was fine there,” Hamilton said when asked if Verstappen should have been penalised. “It’s just the cutting part — and then I’m the only one to get a 10-second penalty. It’s basically a stop-and-go.”
Despite the setback, Verstappen managed to recover from the early incidents to claim third place for Red Bull, while Hamilton’s penalty dropped him down the order and out of contention for a podium finish. The clash added another dramatic chapter to one of Formula 1’s most intense modern rivalries.
Hamilton later shed more light on his off-track excursion, explaining that his mistake at Turn 4 was due to the extremely slippery conditions rather than a problem with the car. “No, there wasn’t anything wrong with the car,” he clarified. “I just locked up the right front. I went down the escape road, but it’s like the dustiest place on Earth. I couldn’t slow the car down, so I ended up cutting across the grass.”
The British driver’s frustration was compounded by the fact that the incident cost him valuable points in his ongoing campaign, as Mercedes continue to chase McLaren and Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship.
For Hamilton, who has been fighting to stay competitive against younger rivals and the dominant Red Bull machinery, moments like this highlight his ongoing struggle not only against the competition but also the unpredictability of FIA stewarding decisions. “All I want is consistency,” he reportedly said. “If we’re going to penalize one driver for going off and gaining time, then it has to apply to everyone, no matter who it is.”
The 10-second punishment may seem minor, but in Formula 1’s razor-thin margins, it was decisive. What could have been a fight for the podium turned into a race of damage control. Hamilton, ever the fighter, remained composed but clearly disappointed as he reflected on what might have been.
“I think we had good pace, the car felt strong,” he added. “It’s just frustrating when moments like that decide your race. I’ll move on, but I hope we can see more fairness next time.”
As the 2025 F1 season continues to unfold, the Mexico City Grand Prix once again reminded fans of the Hamilton-Verstappen rivalry — fierce, unforgiving, and always capable of sparking controversy. Yet this time, it was Hamilton who walked away feeling wronged, as questions over stewards’ consistency and fairness reignited debates that have long surrounded Formula 1’s most heated duels.
