PALMER: Why was Hamilton hit with a penalty in Mexico, but Verstappen and Leclerc weren’t?
Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer picks the bones out of the penalties handed out in Mexico.


There were so many action points for the stewards to look at in the Mexico City Grand Prix, with some drivers being penalised and others not, so let’s take a closer look at why some moves were deemed worthy of punishment, while others weren’t – and whether they were the right calls.
The first obvious one was the start of the race. Five cars cut through the first corner and there was discussion about this from those who kept it on the track, who were displeased about the stewards’ ruling on the five who ran wide and then rejoined. Let’s take them one by one.
First off, in actual fact three of them lost out pretty clearly. Kimi Antonelli was side by side with George Russell coming into the corner and ended up dropping behind not only George but also Ollie Bearman.

Unlock exclusive F1 content and more with F1 Unlocked. Totally free.
Membership gets you closer with:
Curated insider content
Live like an F1 insider with exclusive access and VIP experiences
Member benefits, rewards and offers
Next Up
Related Articles
All the key moments from the Mexico City GP
‘Far too many issues’ for Sainz to score in Mexico City
Aston Martin confirm Crawford as third driver for 2026
Bortoleto reflects on 'great result' in Mexico City
Mexico disappointment for Alpine's Colapinto and Gasly
Russell criticises Mexico City GP corner cutting