Lewis Hamilton angered by Ferrari’s radio techniques in Mexico, F1 professional Karun Chandhok suggests
Lewis Hamilton’s pursuit of his first Ferrari podium within the 2025 System 1 season got here to an abrupt and painful halt on the Mexican Grand Prix, the place a 10-second time penalty erased any probability of a top-three end after what had been one in every of his most promising weekends in purple.
The seven-time World Champion delivered his finest qualifying outcome with Ferrari, securing third place on the grid on the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Lining up behind teammate Charles Leclerc and polesitter Lando Norris, Hamilton seemed set to problem for Ferrari’s first double podium of the season. The opening part of the race, nevertheless, shortly became a chaotic sequence that derailed these ambitions.
Flip 1 chaos ends in controversy
The beginning of the Mexican Grand Prix noticed 4 automobiles abreast into the primary nook — Hamilton, Norris, Leclerc, and Max Verstappen. Within the melee, each Leclerc and Verstappen ran extensive, with solely Verstappen later handing again the place to the British driver. Ferrari followers and pundits alike famous that Hamilton had clearly been forward of Leclerc on the nook entry, however the stewards didn’t intervene at that stage.
By lap six, the stress between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen reached its peak. The Dutchman launched an aggressive transfer into Flip 1, making contact with the Briton’s Ferrari SF-25. A number of corners later, at Flip 4, Lewis Hamilton went off monitor and rejoined through the grass, which the stewards dominated had given him a bonus. Moments later, the FIA handed him a 10-second penalty for leaving the monitor and gaining a place.
Debate over Ferrari’s race technique and communication
Whereas Hamilton insisted over the radio that Verstappen had pushed him extensive, the race stewards noticed no wrongdoing from the Purple Bull driver. The Ferrari star’s choice to rejoin throughout the grass fairly than use the designated escape route proved decisive within the penalty name. It added to a rising sense of frustration surrounding Ferrari’s race administration this season, notably in high-pressure eventualities.
Many followers took to social media to precise anger at what they noticed as inconsistent stewarding, mentioning that Max Verstappen had not been penalised for the sooner first-lap collision. Former F1 driver and Sky Sports activities F1 analyst Karun Chandhok joined the post-race dialogue, saying he was shocked by Ferrari’s lack of proactive directions to Lewis Hamilton through the incident.
In line with Karun Chandhok, Ferrari ought to have instantly instructed their driver to decelerate and relinquish any time gained after working off the circuit, probably avoiding a penalty altogether. He highlighted that though the staff had restricted information in real-time, the benefit was apparent sufficient to advantage a direct response.
Karun Chandhok famous that in comparable instances, groups typically inform drivers to present again time or place to forestall a harsher sanction. In his view, Ferrari’s hesitation demonstrated an absence of readability on the pit wall, which finally value them helpful championship factors.
Communication breakdown between Hamilton and Riccardo Adami
The drama didn’t finish there. When Hamilton’s race engineer Riccardo Adami knowledgeable him of the penalty, the trade was removed from clean. Adami calmly instructed the Briton that Ferrari disagreed with the stewards’ verdict however wanted to deal with sustaining race tempo. Nonetheless, Hamilton’s frustration was evident, as he complained that the monitor provided little or no grip the place he had gone off, implying that his off-track tour had been unavoidable.
Karun Chandhok later criticised Ferrari’s dealing with of the communication, arguing that Adami’s message lacked the complete context and solely fueled Hamilton’s frustration. The commentator identified that the penalty was not for contact with Verstappen however particularly for gaining a time benefit — a key distinction that, in accordance with Karun Chandhok, ought to have been made clear to the driving force instantly.
“This was a case of poor communication on Ferrari’s half,” Karun Chandhok stated through the Sky Sports activities F1 post-race evaluation. He steered that by not absolutely explaining the stewards’ reasoning, the staff had “unnecessarily agitated the driving force,” including that readability and tranquility are essential in such conditions to maintain the driving force mentally composed.
Hamilton’s frustration and Ferrari’s missed alternative
For Lewis Hamilton, the penalty represented one more setback in what has been a tough debut season with Scuderia Ferrari. Regardless of flashes of competitiveness, he stays and not using a podium in 2025, as Ferrari continues to battle with consistency and track-limit infractions. The 40-year-old’s annoyance was comprehensible, because the race had appeared like a real alternative to interrupt that streak and provides Ferrari helpful momentum heading into the ultimate stretch of the championship.
Crew principal Frédéric Vasseur later acknowledged that communication and timing are areas the place the staff should enhance, particularly when combating on the entrance. The incident as soon as once more reignited discussions about Ferrari’s operational sharpness in comparison with title-contending groups like Red Bull and McLaren, who’ve typically demonstrated faster decision-making beneath strain.
Classes for Ferrari as season nears its climax
The Mexican Grand Prix incident has added one other chapter to Ferrari’s ongoing battle to optimize race execution. Whereas Lewis Hamilton’s uncooked tempo was encouraging — notably in qualifying, the place he cut up the Purple Bulls and McLarens — the penalty uncovered weaknesses in Ferrari’s tactical consciousness and inner communication. It additionally confirmed how advantageous the margins stay on the high of System 1, the place a second’s hesitation or unclear message can flip a possible podium right into a irritating mid-field end.
Because the 2025 System 1 marketing campaign continues, the Italian facet shall be beneath strain to refine its race methods and enhance driver-engineer coordination. With Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton each able to difficult the leaders, the Maranello staff is aware of that cleaner execution and sharper decision-making might make the distinction between podiums and missed alternatives.
A expensive miscommunication in Mexico
In the long run, what might have been a triumphant second for Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari grew to become a harsh reminder of how crucial split-second selections and staff communication are in System 1. The 10-second penalty not solely value the Briton a podium but additionally highlighted areas Ferrari should urgently tackle in the event that they need to return to constant front-running type.
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