“Max should have received a penalty,” says expert Martin Brundle after the 2025 Mexican Grand Prix. The expert speaks specifically in the current Formula 1 podcast from “Sky” about the situation in the first corner immediately after the start.
Verstappen and a few other drivers took a shortcut across the grass there and thus gained an advantage. Although Verstappen then returned the positions he had won, Brundle would have imposed a penalty on the four-time world champion.
He justifies this by saying that Verstappen, who was at the very outside of Turn 1 next to three other cars, had “no intention” of even getting into the corner. “You can even see him accelerating,” says Brundle, looking at the pictures from Sunday.
“I might even have given someone who did something like Max a drive-through penalty to really create an appropriate deterrent and put an end to this nonsense,” said the former Formula 1 driver.
In his opinion, other drivers also deserved a penalty. Charles Leclerc, for example, who cut corner 2 after the start, should also have received a ten-second penalty, according to Brundle.
Villeneuve: Verstappen didn’t do anything illegal
Interesting: Jacques Villeneuve only partially agrees with Brundle. The 1997 world champion points out in the same podcast that Verstappen and Leclerc did not break any rules at the start. “He gave back all the positions,” emphasizes Villeneuve.
“We can’t really build intention into the rules,” says the Canadian and explains that it’s not the drivers who are the problem – but the rules and the curve itself. He therefore says of Verstappen: “Does he deserve a penalty? As far as driving behavior is concerned: yes.”
“According to the rules: no. That’s the difficulty,” says Villeneuve, who emphasizes that the situation would not have arisen if there were a gravel bed or a wall in Turn 1 in Mexico. An assessment with which Brundle completely agrees.
The Brit demands that a solution for the first corner must be found in the future. “Maybe even a zone [im Auslauf]”Where you have to drive for 100 meters or 50 meters at the same speed limit as in the pit lane,” he suggests.
That could then have “a similar deterrent effect” to “the wall in Monaco,” said the former Formula 1 driver, who is certain: “Then they wouldn’t go there anymore.”
According to experts, Hamilton’s penalty was absolutely correct
Brundle and Villeneuve also completely agree on the penalty that Lewis Hamilton received a few laps later. The record world champion fought a duel with Verstappen in the first corners and finally shortened the route in turn 4.
Verstappen himself had previously been off the track in Turn 3, but while the Dutchman was not penalized for this shortcut, Hamilton later received a ten-second penalty for leaving the track himself.
While he and Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur find the punishment to be significantly too harsh, especially compared to Verstappen’s previous action, Brundle explains that Hamilton gave himself a “big advantage” by taking a shortcut.
“So unless there are extenuating circumstances, it has to be a ten-second penalty,” said Brundle. Villeneuve also speaks of a “deserved penalty” and explains: “If he hadn’t shortened, he would have lost one or two positions.”
Afterwards, Hamilton didn’t even make an attempt to give back the advantage he had gained off the track, which is why, in his opinion, the penalty was completely acceptable.