Lewis Hamilton Sends Sly Dig To Max Verstappen After Mexico GP Chaos

After the chaotic Mexico City Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton subtly criticized Max Verstappen while securing a strong finish for Mercedes.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton waves to the crowd during a fan experience in the Germania Insurance Amphitheater at the Formula 1 Pirelli United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lewis Hamilton delivered a discreet yet pointed remark toward Max Verstappen following the chaotic Mexico City Grand Prix. After a battle over a few laps, Hamilton managed to edge out his Mercedes teammate George Russell, securing a fourth-place finish. The two drivers managed to avoid colliding, spurring on 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 in fifth and sixth positions, respectively. An early battle unfolded as the two Mercedes drivers swapped positions, with Russell initially taking the edge over Hamilton. Hamilton commented on the battle after the race, stating:

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

“After my stop, I was able to rectify it, and then after that I had a much better pace, and I was able to push and keep going, and we stopped a little bit early as well, compared to what I had planned and stuff. We got good points.

“It’s pretty straightforward, I don't think either of us are silly. George is really smart, and is fair, and he's just really good at where he places his car, and I think for me too.

"So when [the team] comes on the radio and says, keep it clean, it's like, ‘of course.’ It's not really different to when you're fighting anyone else, except for it is your team mate, so you have to be double careful because you both want to finish.”

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

“I mean the pace looked pretty strong in the first stint but when I came out the pits behind [Oscar] Piastri I pulled out down the straight and my front left flap just completely collapsed.

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

One of the pivotal moments in the race was the penalty served by Max Verstappen. 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 discreet comment, thought to be directed at Verstappen, echoed their historical rivalry, which came to a head in 2021. Hamilton has frequently critiqued Verstappen's aggressive approach, viewing it as a regular exploit of the sport’s regulations grey areas.