Hamilton accuses Leclerc of working against him as Ferrari tensions erupt in Mexican GP – Lewis Hamilton has accused Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc of working against him after the pair clashed during the opening laps of the Mexican Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion was left furious after Leclerc cut across the track to take the lead, prompting a five-second penalty that Hamilton believed was far too lenient. Despite recovering to finish second behind Max Verstappen, Hamilton says Ferrari have serious problems to address and has promised a face-to-face conversation with Leclerc.
The Ferrari garage was left with plenty to discuss after a dramatic opening to the Mexican Grand Prix, with Hamilton making little attempt to hide his frustration over his team-mate’s actions.
What should have been an opportunity for Ferrari to secure a strong result quickly became an internal dispute, with Hamilton believing Leclerc’s manoeuvre cost the team a potential one-two finish.
Hamilton furious after Leclerc takes the lead
The incident happened shortly after the start, when Leclerc made a significantly better getaway than Hamilton.
As the pair approached Turn 4, the Monegasque driver pulled alongside his British team-mate. Hamilton appeared to have the advantage entering the corner, but Leclerc continued across the grass rather than backing out of the move.
Leclerc emerged ahead and took the lead, while Hamilton lost another position to Max Verstappen, dropping to third.
Hamilton immediately made his feelings known over Ferrari’s team radio.
“I was forced off the track by my own teammate,” he complained.
The British driver subsequently requested that the stewards investigate Leclerc’s manoeuvre, believing his team-mate had gained an unfair advantage.
The stewards eventually handed Leclerc a five-second penalty. However, the decision did little to satisfy Hamilton.
Five-second penalty makes Hamilton even angrier
Hamilton was particularly unhappy that Leclerc received only a five-second penalty rather than the more substantial ten-second sanction he had seemingly expected.
The situation was made worse by the different circumstances facing the two Ferrari drivers.
While Hamilton was stuck behind Verstappen on older soft tyres, Leclerc had clear air at the front and could concentrate on managing his race.
“The problem with the five-second penalty is that he has clean air. He doesn’t have to manage his temperatures like everyone else,” Hamilton complained.
He then delivered an even stronger assessment of the stewards’ decision.
“The stewards are basically handing Charles the win,” the Briton added.
Hamilton also referred to an agreement supposedly reached during the drivers’ briefing, suggesting that Leclerc had ignored an understanding about how drivers should behave when racing one another.
“We had reached an agreement in the drivers’ briefing,” Hamilton said.
The tension continued during the race interruption following Valtteri Bottas’s accident. Sky Sports subsequently broadcast another radio message from Hamilton, in which the Ferrari driver sounded particularly concerned.
“We have big problems, big, big problems.”
The message appeared to reflect his growing frustration with the situation inside Ferrari.
Hamilton and Leclerc exchange criticism after the race
Hamilton eventually recovered to finish second behind Verstappen, with the Red Bull driver taking victory by 0.799 seconds.
Kimi Antonelli completed the podium, while Leclerc finished fourth, missing out on a potential podium position.
However, Hamilton was still angry when speaking after the race.
“I’m really angry. We lost valuable points. We could easily have done a one-two finish. We had the pace for it,” he explained.
“But when your teammate is working against you and you lose positions like that, it’s definitely tough.”
The seven-time world champion also confirmed that he wanted to speak directly with Leclerc to address what had happened.
“We don’t have any rules for working together, and whether that will change from Charles’ side, I don’t know,” Hamilton said.
“But something definitely has to change.”
Leclerc, meanwhile, offered a different perspective on the opening-lap confrontation. The Ferrari driver suggested Hamilton had also been aggressive in their battle.
“I could obviously also be angry about how much he pushed me off the track at Turn 1. But I think that’s just how it is in racing. When you’re fighting for the win, that’s simply part of it,” Leclerc said.
Ferrari face an uncomfortable conversation
The contrasting accounts underline the difficulties Ferrari could face when managing two highly competitive drivers.
Both Hamilton and Leclerc will naturally want the opportunity to fight for victories, but the team must ensure that their battles do not compromise its wider championship ambitions.
Hamilton’s comments suggest that the disagreement extends beyond a single racing incident. His reference to an apparent agreement at the drivers’ briefing indicates that he believes expectations between the drivers were not respected.
For Ferrari, the priority will now be resolving the disagreement before it develops into a more serious internal problem.
Hamilton and Leclerc have both made their positions clear. The question is whether their promised conversation will produce a clearer understanding of how they are expected to race one another in the remaining rounds of the season.
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The Judge, a nom de plume of an experienced F1 journalist and site founder with long-standing sources across the paddock. With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
