Why Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton among others were summoned to stewards after Mexican GP qualifying? Examining the incidents leading to the summon

Mexico City has emerged as one of the world’s premier tourist destinations, thanks to the exhilarating Mexican Grand Prix. This event has captivated a global audience, delivering an unparalleled level of excitement and thrills, all within the city’s bounds.

The renowned Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez presents a series of challenges that keep drivers on their toes. Various elements associated with this track, including its technical sections, elevation changes, and unpredictable weather, contribute to the complexity faced by drivers. Notably, following a recent qualifying race, numerous drivers found themselves summoned by the stewards due to various incidents, with Max Verstappen also included in the mix.

Verstappen, Hamilton, Fernando Alonso summoned by Mexican GP stewards

A total of six drivers were called by the stewards after the qualifying race at the Mexican GP which included famous drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Yuki Tsunoda, Logan Sargeant and the three-time World Champion, Max Verstappen.

Some of them were called for illegitimately breaking the rules, while some were summoned for simply ignoring the rules. Verstappen, George Russell, and Fernando Alonso were called for impeding other drivers in the pit-lane exit during Q1 for violating the rule of Article 37.5 of the Sporting Regulations.

Verstappen was seen to not be in a definite halt being barely in motion as he extended past the white line indicating the pit exit. When asked about his actions after the incident, the Dutch sensation replied, “I don’t think I did anything weird or wrong.”

Alonso did a similar action, although he stopped fully just before the white line. Russell was the one who was affected by Alonso’s actions, as he was seated subsequently in the lineup right after Alonso. He too was summoned by stewards as he moved forward slightly, crossing the white line, pausing for a few seconds, and then resuming his movement.

On the other side, Hamilton and Logan Sargeant were summoned for overtaking under yellow flags and failing to reduce their speed in response to the yellow flags following Alonso’s Q1 spin. Yuki Tsunoda was the last driver to be called for the same action.

Aftermath of the summon

No further actions were taken against the four Formula One drivers, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, George Russell and Fernando Alonso. During their inquiries, the stewards found out that the ultimate reason behind the drivers slowing down was a direct consequence of the minimum lap duration imposed by the race director Niels Wittich, between the two safety car lines.

The stewards observed that drivers face “contrary requirements” for which they must maintain the specified time limit, all the while trying to create “controllable” distances” to the cars in front, without coming to a halt “needlessly” at the pit exit.

Shortly after, the director personally acknowledged that it was better for them to have the potential backing up of cars in the pit exit than the potentially dangerous “significant variations in speed” on the track. With all of these factors considered, no further action was taken against the four drivers.

As for Hamilton, the seven-time World Champion was given the all-clear sign after it was found out that he drove at a slower speed in the mini-segment compared to his earlier fast lap and that the light panel was unlit for more than two cycles of a yellow flag.

However, both Williams and Logan Sargeant were heavily penalized for their actions at the Mexico Qualifying Race, with Sargeant subsequently having to drop the grid by one position.

Do you think the consequences faced by both Williams and Sargeant were fair? Let us know your opinion in the comment section below.