Charles Leclerc revealed that he planned to return the race lead to Lewis Hamilton following an opening-lap confrontation between both drivers at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Running in second place behind Hamilton through the initial three corners of the 71-lap contest at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Leclerc overtook Hamilton at Turn 4. Both cars missed the corner, with the Monegasque driver cutting across the grass run-off area and rejoining ahead to gain an advantage.
Reflecting on the incident in an interview with Sky Sports F1, Leclerc explained that there was space through Turns 1 and 2, adding that when fighting for a victory he went for the opportunity. Heading into Turns 4 and 5, he braked as late as possible and assumed Hamilton adopted the same approach, which resulted in neither car making the corner. Leclerc maintained that his intention was to let Hamilton pass again, noting he was certain Hamilton "definitely hated" those opening laps.
Verstappen Pass Alters On-Track Scenario
However, that intended swap changed when a loss of pace from the seven-time F1 champion opened the door for Max Verstappen, who passed on the inside at Turn 6. With the Red Bull driver moving ahead of Hamilton, Leclerc was left with little choice but to hold the lead and work to build an advantage capable of withstanding a stewards' penalty. Leclerc explained that while he initially thought of yielding track position, Verstappen passing Hamilton created a deeply confusing situation. After asking over team radio, Leclerc chose to maintain his position.
The stewards subsequently handed Leclerc a five-second penalty for the off-track excursion and resulting advantage. Although the Monegasque driver managed to establish a gap of approximately that size before his initial pit stop, the buffer was not enough to keep Verstappen behind. The Red Bull driver seized the race lead during the pit stops, neutralizing the margin Leclerc had built.
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Hamilton Radio Reaction and Post-Race Review
Hamilton was furious during the race and emphasized to his race engineer, Carlo Santi, that returning the position had been discussed in the drivers' meeting. The British driver later indicated that there would be a "big problem" as the afternoon progressed unfavourably for him.
Hamilton eventually finished in second place behind Verstappen following a red flag caused by Valtteri Bottas, while Leclerc took fourth. Leclerc acknowledged how frustrating the situation was for Hamilton, adding that the two drivers would hold discussions to review what happened.
