Charles Leclerc kept his Mexico GP win despite cutting the track to pass Lewis Hamilton on lap one, after the FIA stewards handed down just a five-second penalty instead of the standard 10. Leclerc ran wide through Turn 4, crossed the grass, and rejoined ahead—violating the pre-race directive that mandated giving back any position gained by leaving the track in that zone. Hamilton fumed over team radio that the lighter penalty was a gift, arguing Leclerc's clean air let him build enough of a gap to absorb the time loss. The stewards' rationale: both drivers entered the corner too hot, and Hamilton also went off-track on the inside, making it a "mitigating circumstance." Leclerc dropped behind Max Verstappen at his first stop before a red flag reset the race. The inconsistency in penalty application—especially after drivers agreed on the rules in the briefing—will fuel the ongoing debate over whether the FIA's enforcement keeps pace with the chaos of first-lap racing.
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