FIA stewards explain Charles Leclerc’s five-second penalty in F1 Mexico GP

The FIA stewards have provided insight into the reasoning behind Charles Leclerc's five-second penalty during the Formula 1 Mexico Grand Prix. The race started with Leclerc in third place, trailing behind team-mate Lewis Hamilton who had taken pole position. As George Russell experienced a significant setback in the start's second phase, the Ferraris collided at the front, forcing Leclerc to move ahead of Hamilton.

However, Leclerc failed to regain his position by Turn 12, resulting in a penalty. The FIA's guidelines stated that such excessive speed entering Turn 4 would have cost Leclerc two spots, moving him behind Verstappen. After assessing the situation, the stewards determined that neither car could have safely navigated the corner at such high speeds and imposed a penalty.

The penalty was reduced to five seconds due to the fact that Leclerc's race-leading teammate, car 44, was also off track alongside him. Despite the penalty, Leclerc retained the lead, which allowed him to extend his advantage to a five-second gap over Verstappen. This decision was met with dissatisfaction from Lewis Hamilton, who felt the penalty was too lenient and that Leclerc should have given up the position.