THE FIA AND THE ART OF INCONSISTENCY

Hamilton’s race in Mexico won’t be remembered for its pace, but for what shaped it: two incidents as clear as they were debatable. The first came at the start, where Lewis rightfully claimed second place while, around him, others were cutting corners with little hesitation. The second was the penalty handed down during his battle with Verstappen, which ultimately ruined his race.

Let’s start with the latter. The sanction was issued for failing to follow the designated “re-entry road” after running off track — a tiny strip of asphalt with an angle that can only be described as absurd for a Formula 1 car. By the letter of the rules, there’s nothing to argue. But logically, it raises more than a few doubts. Similar incidents, often far more dangerous, have never resulted in consequences. The real issue, however, isn’t so much the decision itself, but how the situation developed in the first place.

Verstappen’s move into Turn 1 was extremely aggressive. The onboard footage makes it clear: he releases the brakes and throws the car toward Hamilton, who slightly opens the steering to avoid contact and give him room. Yet the Dutchman still forces him wide, putting his own wheels beyond the white line in the process. Lewis stays on track; Max does not. And yet, in the very next corner, it’s Verstappen who cuts across.

From there begins the sequence that leads to the penalty: Hamilton uses the slipstream and attempts a move under braking into Turn 3, but Verstappen responds — once again releasing the brakes. This time Lewis cuts the corner, while Max runs wide with all four wheels beyond the track limits. Rejoining, Verstappen squeezes Russell onto the grass, allowing Bearman to slip through.

Meanwhile, Hamilton clearly lifts off after cutting the corner, ready to give the position back. But a Haas appears behind him, and to avoid being overtaken, Lewis accelerates again. It’s precisely at that moment that he’s handed the penalty for “gaining an advantage.” It’s hard to see what advantage, considering he effectively lost ground.

Which raises the question: in all this chaos, is Hamilton really the only one deserving of a penalty? Did he truly gain something no one else did? If there’s no proper runoff at Turn 1, does cutting across the grass suddenly become acceptable? Is it only dangerous at Turn 3? And what about releasing the brakes to use a rival as a buffer — is that considered fair racing?

Weren’t the new FIA directives introduced precisely to prevent this kind of maneuver? And why do certain behaviors, when they come from Verstappen, always seem “tolerable,” if not outright justifiable?

This isn’t about fandom. It’s about consistency. Verstappen remains an extraordinary talent, but his interpretation of wheel-to-wheel combat is always the same: aggressive to the limit — and often beyond it. It’s his style, and it works. But when others consistently pay the price for that aggression, the line between skill and impunity becomes dangerously thin.

© Simone Marchetti Cavalieri