One talking point coming away from Formula 1‘s most recent trip to Mexico City is what can be done about the so-called “lawnmower racing” displayed at the start?
Multiple drivers left the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit with a sour taste in their mouths surrounding the dubious actions that occurred on the opening lap.
None more than Lewis Hamilton, who branded his 10-second penalty as “kind of nuts” after multiple other drivers took to the grass in Mexico and went unpenalised.
Fernando Alonso and George Russell, too, were left incensed by the lack of action taken against those who seemingly took an advantage, including Max Verstappen.
“I think a couple of cars went just straight in turn 2 and 3 and then they rejoined like three or four cars in front of me,so a little bit unfair I would say, but it’s the second time in a row that the first lap first corner the FIA is looking to the other side,” Alonso said.
Along with the two-time F1 champion, Russell called into question the lack of penalties handed out, even labelling the whole situation as “lawnmower racing“.
“I think I just struggle to understand how three guys can just cut corners and maintain their position,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“They got it wrong, they brake too late, they made a mistake. But then they can just cut the corner and continue, and there was no punishment for their mistake.”
But the Briton, whose intention to stick to the rules cost him a possible podium, also highlighted the design of the Mexico City circuit only exacerbates the problem.
“I think it holds me down to the circuit. You know, if there is this get-out-of-jail-free card… If there were gravel, no one would be there,” he pinpointed.
“We’ve seen it almost every year we’ve been here. I think it was Carlos [Sainz] last year, Charles [Leclerc] the year before, Lewis 10 years ago.”
Something needs to change
As Russell rightly points out, this season was not the first time we’ve seen incidents of drivers taking to the grass and going unpunished in Mexico.
The difference being that 2025 saw a greater multitude of drivers not only do it, but also get away scot free.
Russell thought it was wrong that the drivers who did the right thing at the start, i.e. staying on the track, came off the worst from drivers taking to the grass.
But what can be changed about the circuit to try and prevent this kind of thing happening on every trip to Mexico?
Well, as Russell himself stated, the removal of the grass run-off and seeing them replaced with some form of gravel trap would surely provide a fix to this problem.
Having gravel traps between Turns 1 and 3 would be a big deterrent to drivers taking the easy option and simply cutting the track to avoid damage or losing a place.
Not only would a driver be more likely to lose time rather than gain or hold their position, but the risks would also outweigh the rewards.
The risk of getting beached and seeing their race end on the spot, combined with the chance of picking up some form of damage to the underside of their car, would push drivers to stick to the tarmac even if it would cost them a position or time in doing so.
Another option could be to have a proper runoff area where the drivers have to go if they have an adventure at Turn 1.
Much like the one in Monza, bollards or polystyrene boards could be in place that drivers have to follow to negate the advantage gained by leaving the race track.
However, there is an even simpler way.
Time to drop the leniency
It is well known that the F1 stewards take a rather lenient viewpoint to incidents that happen on the opening lap compared to during the rest of the race.
The close nature of cars jostling for positions early on is a more likely place for innocuous incidents to take place, so the stewards are more lenient if there is a coming together.
However, the incidents on the opening lap in Mexico were seen by most as more than just innocuous.
It can be argued that not only did Leclerc take to the grass to hold his second place, but Verstappen also gained a large advantage by charging across the grass, almost out of control.
If punishments were dished out for clear extortion of the rules, regardless of whether it is transgressed on the opening lap or not, it would be a strong deterrent in the future.
In fact, Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle stated harsh penalties needed to be awarded to act as a proper deterrent to drivers trying to gain an advantage.
“I might even have given somebody doing what Max did, a drive-through, as a proper deterrent to stop the silliness,” he commented.
The rulebook is there to protect the integrity of the sport as well as reward the drivers who don’t break the rules and punish those who do.
But if there is a leniency factor, it shouldn’t be surprising to see more drivers try and exploit the rulebook on lap one more often, aware of the lack of consequences coming their way.
READ MORE – Ferrari drivers differ in opinion on F1 Mexico GP opening lap
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