Lewis Hamilton blamed by Italian media for ‘unacceptable mistake’ as Ferrari promise goes to waste

Italian media have not taken a kind view of the mistake that earned Lewis Hamilton a 10-second time penalty at the Mexican Grand Prix.

After a superb qualifying on Saturday where the seven-time world champion claimed third, there was hope Hamilton could finally step onto the podium with Ferrari in 2025.

However, all optimism was quashed on lap six of the Mexican GP, when Hamilton and Verstappen went wheel-to-wheel for third, causing a lock up for the Brit at Turn 4.

The champion then went off the track and cut the corner on the escape road, where he came out quite a way ahead of Verstappen, with Hamilton unable to give the position back as Ollie Bearman overtook the Dutchman.

Following an investigation from FIA stewards, Hamilton was awarded a 10-second time penalty, for ‘leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage.’

Hamilton penalty ‘unacceptable’

Speaking to the media after the race, Hamilton slammed the FIA’s ‘double-standard’ after team-mate Charles Leclerc and Verstappen also cut corners during the race - although on lap one both drivers gave the place back, unlike Hamilton.

Italian publication Corriere della Sera did not sympathise with Hamilton however, marking him with a lowly score of five out of 10 for the Mexican GP, and branding his Turn 4 error an ‘unacceptable mistake’.

"He's the only one to pay for the chaos that ensued after the start," they wrote. "He even received a hefty penalty: 10 seconds, to be served at the pit stop, for not following the mandatory return route after his excursion onto the grass.

"Sure, Lewis can complain about the stewards' ‘preferential’ treatment, but the mistake was his own and it's unacceptable from a driver who has won seven world championships. So a promising race quickly goes to waste, and he finishes third or eighth in the last four races (who knows when his season ticket expires)."

The publication did end on a more positive note however, where they added: "Furthermore, these are four points not to be underestimated, as they allow Ferrari to reclaim second place in the constructors' championship by just one point."

Hamilton’s team-mate Leclerc fared much better in Mexico, holding off Verstappen during the closing stages, albeit aided by a virtual safety car, to claim second place and his seventh podium of the season.

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