Lewis Hamilton Criticizes Charles Leclerc After Mexico Grand Prix Clash
Lewis Hamilton expressed clear displeasure with his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, following a tense moment during the opening lap of the Mexico Grand Prix.
Starting from pole position, Hamilton was closely followed by Mercedes' George Russell and Leclerc in third. Both Ferrari drivers launched aggressively off the line, engaging in a fierce battle for the lead through the initial corners. Leclerc executed a daring move at turn four, forcing himself off the track to pass Hamilton.
Forced wide while defending, Hamilton subsequently lost position to Max Verstappen, who capitalized on the chaos ahead. The stewards penalized Leclerc with a five-second time penalty for his maneuver, but Hamilton was not satisfied. Over team radio, he remarked:
"Problem with the five-second penalty is he’s got clean air. He doesn’t have to manage like the rest of us. The stewards are basically handing Charles this win. We agreed, in the drivers’ briefing."
Hamilton finished second behind Verstappen, while Leclerc ended up fourth, missing out on the podium.
Strong Words from a Seven-Time Champion
Known as one of Formula 1's all-time greats, Hamilton did not hold back in sharing his thoughts about the clash and his teammate’s approach. He suggested that changes are necessary within Ferrari to avoid repeating such incidents. According to Crash.net, Hamilton said:
"I don't know what needs to happen now. How we discuss things when we go back, I'm not quite sure how I want to engage in that.We lost valuable points as a team. We were going into Turn 4 first and second. If we just held position, I think anything can happen in the race, but when your teammate works against you, and then you lose positions like that, it's definitely tough.We'll just talk about this offline. We don't have rules of engagement and whether or not that would change anything from Charles' side, I don't know. We've just got to figure [it] out. But something needs to change, for sure."
Hamilton reflected on previous Ferrari intra-team battles between Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, noting the negative impact on race results when teammates fight too hard. He added:
"It's one thing when that's happening in fourth and fifth as opposed to first and second, and you lose the win. That's significant. The guy is 28 years old, so I don't think it's an age thing. I think it's a mentality thing. It's like do or die. Like, either I win, or none of us do, and it shouldn't be that. It should be, us having got that one-two, which is still a good feeling.At Silverstone, I could have gone all kamikaze on him and taken him off and lost us the win, but instead a one-two was there, and I think we got a one-two, or was it a one-three? I'm happy for the team to have experienced that. I'm hopeful we'll work towards a better place in the future."
Hamilton described Leclerc's move as "unnecessary," accusing him of costing Ferrari a potential one-two finish.
Championship Standings and Upcoming Race
Kimi Antonelli secured his first world title in Mexico after winning the race. Hamilton holds third place in the championship standings, leading Leclerc by two positions and 15 points.
Ferrari will be eager to avoid any driver conflicts when they head to the Brazil Grand Prix next weekend.
- Mexico Grand Prix - Key Details:
- Winner: Kimi Antonelli
- Second place: Lewis Hamilton
- Third place: (Not specified)
- Leclerc's finishing position: Fourth
- Leclerc's penalty: Five-second time penalty for off-track overtake
- Hamilton's position in championship: Third
- Points difference between Hamilton and Leclerc: 15 points
