Lewis Hamilton faced a penalty in the Mexico City Grand Prix as Formula 1 stewards determined that the seven-time champion had gained an advantage by leaving the track during a battle with Max Verstappen in the early stages of the race.
Starting from third position, Hamilton found himself in a tight situation between Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc, while Verstappen was trying to make a move on the outside. Verstappen went off track and returned in fourth place, with Norris maintaining the lead followed by Leclerc and Hamilton.
In a subsequent confrontation, Hamilton locked up his tires, went off track, and cut across the grass before rejoining the race in third place. Despite being investigated and cleared for not using the designated exit road, Hamilton received a 10-second time penalty for gaining an unfair advantage by leaving the track.
Verstappen expressed over the radio his desire for Hamilton to be penalized, which was eventually granted. Hamilton, although still in third place on track, served his penalty in the pits, allowing Oliver Bearman to move up. Bearman, taking advantage of the situation, had a strong race and even held off Verstappen before making his own pit stop.
Haas, a team that had never achieved a podium finish in their F1 history, was thrilled with the opportunity presented by the race developments.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story on Mirror Sport for the latest news, images, and videos. Check back regularly for updates and follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, Twitter, Facebook, or visit The Mirror homepage.