Lewis Hamilton sends Sly Dig to Max Verstappen after Mexico GP Chaos

Lewis Hamilton made a low-key but pointed remark to Max Verstappen following the chaotic Mexico City Grand Prix. After a battle for several laps, Hamilton was able to overtake his Mercedes team-mate George Russell to secure fourth place. The two drivers managed to avoid colliding, prompting Hamilton’s sly dig at Verstappen, who was part of a messy battle with Lando Norris.

The Mexico City Grand Prix saw Hamilton and Russell start fifth and sixth respectively. An early battle ensued as the two Mercedes drivers swapped positions, with Russell initially taking the lead over Hamilton. Hamilton commented on the post-race battle, stating:

“It was fun, I had fun today. I had a good start, I had a really bad first stint, I took the front wing out of the car too much, I had massive, massive understeer.

“After the stop I was able to rectify it and then I had a lot better pace and I was able to push and keep going and we also stopped a bit earlier compared to what we had planned and stuff. We have good points.

“It’s quite simple, I don’t think any of us are stupid. George is very smart and fair, and very good about where he puts his car, and I think for me as well.

“So when (the team) comes on the radio and says, keep it clean, it’s like, ‘of course.’ It’s not really any different than when you’re fighting someone else, except it’s your teammate, so you have to be doubly careful because you both want to finish.”

As the race progressed, Russell faced challenges of his own. An encounter with a bump behind Oscar Piastri resulted in damage to his front wing, which significantly hampered his pace. Despite this setback, he managed to maintain a respectable fifth place. Russell reflected on the race saying:

“I mean, the pace looked pretty strong in the first stint, but when I pitted behind (Oscar) Piastri, I went out on the straight and the left front flap completely collapsed.

“I hit this bump so it probably cost me a good three or four tenths for the rest of the race so it was difficult to hold 40 laps. P5 probably would have taken that after Friday.”

One of the key moments of the race was Max Verstappen’s penalty. Verstappen, known for his aggressive driving style, was involved in separate incidents with McLaren’s Lando Norris, resulting in two 10-second penalties.

Hamilton’s low-key comment, believed to be directed at Verstappen, echoed their historic rivalry, which has reached a climax in 2021. Hamilton has frequently criticized Verstappen’s aggressive approach, regarding it as regular zone exploitation gray of the sports regulations.