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MEXICO GP CONTROVERSY: LEWIS HAMILTON CRITICIZES PENALTY, VERSTAPPEN REMAINS UNMOVED

Lewis Hamilton was hit with a 10-second penalty in Mexico, costing him a podium and sparking his "double standards" claim after Max Verstappen escaped punishment for a similar off-track move earlier in the race.

Mexico GP controversy: Lewis Hamilton criticizes penalty, Verstappen remains unmoved
Hamilton fumes as Verstappen shrugs off Mexico penalty - Photo Credit: PA Media

Verstappen dismisses Lewis Hamilton's criticism of "double standards" in the Mexico penalty, saying, "Same for everyone."

Mexico City was seething when Lewis Hamilton left. For leaving the track and maintaining position during the early altercation with Max Verstappen, the Ferrari driver received a 10-second time penalty, which he called "double standards." What did Verstappen say? A shrug. "That is racing. For everyone, it is the same.

At the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, when Turn 1 became the typical sliding problem, there was a clumsy opening before the flashpoint. The bunch worked itself out with little fuss and no early penalties after Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, Hamilton, and Verstappen all crowded in. Leclerc and Verstappen then took to the escape road and rejoined.

The actual altercation started after six laps. Verstappen sped into Turn 1 down Hamilton's inside. The Red Bull skipped across the grass at the chicane and returned ahead of them as they ran side by side. After trying the long route, locking the front-right, and straight-lining it himself, Hamilton countered into Turn 4, cutting the grass and rejoining just ahead of Verstappen.

The stewards concluded that Hamilton had gained a permanent advantage by leaving the circuit. What would have been a well-earned podium was destroyed by the 10-second penalty that was imposed following the yellow, dropping him to eighth place.

"It is been really annoying," Hamilton admitted to DAZN. "I started well; I kept on course and got up to second in Turns 1, 2, and 3, but I ended up in third place for some reason, and no one was penalised for cutting the track there. Max cut Turn 3 as well, but nothing occurred.

When I left, I had to drive through the grass since my tyres were so filthy that I would not be able to turn the corner. In the end, I received a 10-second [penalty] after asking on the radio if I needed to let anyone through for gaining an advantage. It is what it is.

Hamilton continued, accusing the ruling of "double standards" and stating that he felt "let down by the governing body."

A further twist that would have delayed the process of giving the slot back right away was that Oliver Bearman, a rookie for Haas, managed to get by Verstappen in the confusion. Any give-back would have essentially resulted in the surrender of two spots rather than one. This is a subtlety that teams and drivers usually consider at the time, and it can quickly become expensive if Race Control does not provide clear, real-time instructions.

For his part, Verstappen saw no inconsistency or collusion. He said to DAZN, "That is racing." It is what we are able to do while adhering to the rules. We are permitted to do so by the stewards. Since I have experienced it myself, why should I not be permitted to do the same? For everyone, it is the same.

This was Mexico's microcosmic tightrope. The escape lanes entice cars to play the dice and figure things out later, while the opening complex welcomes optimism and elbows. Although the law's letter is straightforward—if you leave the track and obtain a permanent advantage, you are in trouble—enforcing it in practice is still a murky area that contributes to weekends like this one. Teams may or may not be instructed to return it right away, and the hammer may or may not drop following the cool-down lap.

It makes sense that Hamilton is frustrated. Seeing others use the escape route with no apparent repercussions made him feel as though he had played fairly in the first altercation. He was then penalised with interest and lost a podium after his own lock-up forced him to grass-track. Verstappen's perspective is as clear: push the boundaries if it is there, and accept any sanctions as a necessary part of the game.

This will be felt by Ferrari. Even if the rules support it, the optics of dropping five spots due to a post-race time drop never sit well. Hamilton had the pace to make the afternoon less attritional. Although it is not crucial on its own, every point counts now, and Red Bull leaves with a little more momentum and Verstappen a little closer in the race for the championship.

The larger dilemma remains: should we continue to allow the stewards to call balls and strikes after the fact, or should Race Control referee every skirmish live with quick swaps? For years, drivers have made it plain that they appreciate transparency, even if they do not always agree with the response. When the walls shut in at Turn 1, Mexico provided yet another example of why that clarity still seems elusive.

THE 2026 ULTIMATUM: WHY NEXT SEASON IS "MAKE OR BREAK" FOR LEWIS HAMILTON

After a winless 2025 debut, Lewis Hamilton faces a pivotal year. See why Steiner believes the 7x champ is nearing the F1 exit.

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Hamilton’s exit clock is ticking

Guenther Steiner, who used to run the Haas team, thinks Lewis Hamilton might quit Formula 1 if Ferrari can't get to the top of the Driver's Championship by 2026—he thinks that season will be super important for the racing star.

Hamilton had a tough first year with Ferrari, ending up sixth in the F1 rankings with 156 points.

That was 86 points behind his teammate, Charles Leclerc, and he didn't even get on the podium once, which is a first for him in a full season.

He often said he was bummed out about how his Ferrari debut was going.

Back in November, after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, he told Sky Sports, I feel awful. This has been the worst season ever, and it just keeps getting worse no matter how hard I try. I'm trying everything I can, both in and out of the car.

Hamilton looked pretty sad a lot during the season because he couldn't really fight for race wins.

Steiner told Sports Krone, I think if Ferrari has a good car next season, Hamilton might be able to turn things around. If they are more competitive, Lewis might find his drive again. But if things stay the same, next season will probably be his last in Formula 1. He's not going to go through that again. The situation is tough for him, and you could see that in every interview. So, the next season will be key for him.

What's Hamilton saying about quitting?

When the media asks Hamilton about his F1 future, he doesn't want to talk about retiring.

At the end of the season, when someone asked him what he would say to those who think he might retire soon, the 40-year-old said, I wouldn't say anything to them. None of them have done what I've done, so they don't know anything more than I do.

Last summer, after some rumors that he might leave early, Hamilton said he's staying at Ferrari until his contract is up.

He said, For those writing stories about me thinking about not racing, I've just started here with Ferrari. I've been here for a few years, and I'm in it for the long run, so there's no question about what I'm focused on achieving with this team. There are zero doubts, so please stop making stuff up.

In 2026, everyone will still be wondering about Hamilton's future in F1, mainly if Ferrari keeps struggling with the new rules. And if Steiner is right, another year of not competing for a championship could be the end for him.

MAX VERSTAPPEN NAMED PEER-VOTED DRIVER OF THE YEAR FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE SEASON

Max Verstappen wins his 5th straight F1 peer award, beating champion Lando Norris. Lewis Hamilton drops out of the top 10 for the first time.

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Verstappen Wins Fifth Straight Peer Award

Max Verstappen copped his fifth straight driver-of-the-year award in Formula 1's secret peer vote, even though he almost grabbed a fifth title in 2025 but didn't quite make it.

The drivers all voted in secret, except for four guys. The Red Bull driver beat out Lando Norris, who just won the world championship, for the number one spot.

The voting worked like the normal F1 points system. Drivers ranked their top 10 rivals. Verstappen got 25 points from six votes to win.

Norris, who won his first championship after a crazy season, came in second in the driver rankings for the second year running.

The McLaren driver won the title after fighting off pressure from Verstappen and his teammate, Oscar Piastri, all season long.

George Russell took third, moving up one spot from last year. The Mercedes driver had a killer season with two wins and seven more podiums.

Piastri was fourth, up one spot, even though his championship hopes fizzled out near the end. The Aussie was leading by 34 points at one point before his performance dropped off.

Charles Leclerc finished fifth, down two spots, even though he got everything he could out of Ferrari's SF-25. The Monegasque driver had seven podiums during a tough season that saw Ferrari finish fourth.

Carlos Sainz held onto sixth after a great comeback at Williams. After a rough start, the Spaniard grabbed two podiums in a strong second half of the season.

Fernando Alonso jumped two spots to seventh, and the two-time world champion had some crazy drives in Aston Martin's AMR25.

Alex Albon took eighth after his best season with Williams, while rookies Oliver Bearman and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top 10, getting props for their awesome first seasons.

Pierre Gasly almost made the list, even with 10 Q3 appearances in Alpine's tricky A525.

Lewis Hamilton, who's won seven world championships, didn't show up in the rankings, which is a first since they started doing this poll. It shows how rough his first season at Ferrari was.

The four drivers who skipped the vote were Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll, and Yuki Tsunoda.

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