Leclerc gets five-second penalty after off-track pass

Formula 1 stewards imposed a five-second penalty on Charles Leclerc for leaving the track and keeping the lead after passing Lewis Hamilton at Turn 4 on the opening lap of the Mexico City Grand Prix. They said both Ferrari drivers went off track after entering the corner too fast, a circumstance that reduced the usual 10-second guideline penalty. Leclerc moved ahead of Hamilton after running across the grass and rejoining in front. Hamilton also went wide while defending and lost position to Max Verstappen, who passed him during the Ferrari teammates’ battle. Leclerc kept the lead rather than yielding the position, and the stewards later ruled that he had gained an advantage by completing the pass off track. In their decision, the stewards said neither car could have made the corner on track because of excessive speed. They said Leclerc was not entitled to claim the corner, and that passing while off track warranted a penalty. Hamilton’s own off-track excursion and the fact that the incident happened early on the first lap were cited as mitigating factors in setting the sanction at five seconds rather than the 10-second baseline. Hamilton objected to the reduced penalty over...