P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Was Lewis Hamilton’s 10-second time penalty at the Mexico City Grand Prix fair?
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur expressed doubts about the severity of Lewis Hamilton’s penalty in the Mexico City Grand Prix, questioning whether a 10-second penalty was fitting for the incident at Turn 4 that allowed Hamilton to overtake Max Verstappen. Vasseur believed Hamilton could have finished fourth at worst without the penalty that ultimately led to an eighth-place finish. He highlighted that Verstappen escaped penalty for cutting the track before Hamilton’s offense, including cutting Turn 1 on the opening lap. Vasseur criticized the management of penalties, emphasizing the impact on Ferrari’s race as they were unable to overtake after being dropped back due to Hamilton’s penalty. Despite this setback, Ferrari had a strong weekend with Charles Leclerc securing second and Hamilton third on the grid, their best result of the year. Vasseur acknowledged the strong pace but lamented the harshness of the penalty that affected Ferrari’s final race result.
