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Hamilton Questions Response to Internal Rivalry
Lewis Hamilton questioned Ferrari's handling of the internal rivalry between himself and team-mate Charles Leclerc at Maranello following Sunday's Mexican Grand Prix flashpoint. The seven-time world champion suggested that the internal situation remains unresolved despite discussions behind the scenes with team principal Fred Vasseur. Hamilton revealed that Vasseur had spoken to him prior to Sunday's race, but the British driver was left uncertain about what action would follow, offering a telling assessment regarding the lack of organizational response and remarking that "nothing really has been done" so far.
Opening-Lap Clash and Lost One-Two Opportunity
The pointed remarks followed an opening-lap incident at the Mexican Grand Prix where both Ferrari cars entered Turn 4 running first and second. Contact on Lap 1 saw Hamilton drop from P1 to P3, while Leclerc picked up a five-second time penalty and Max Verstappen went on to win the 71-lap race. Hamilton expressed frustration at the way Leclerc had raced him, arguing that the pair could have secured a stronger result for their outfit had they avoided fighting each other so aggressively. Reflecting on their competitive pace, he stated that the team could have easily achieved a one-two finish today, adding that if they had simply held position, he believed anything could happen in the race.
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Pre-Race Conversations and Driver Accountability
During the post-race press conference, Hamilton opened up about the current issues within Ferrari and what is being done, or not done, to resolve them. He noted that Vasseur was doing his best and had approached him before the race, appearing nervous while naturally wanting both drivers to do well. Hamilton explained that if he were attacking from behind and taking all the risk to the detriment of the collective outcome, he would expect to have some answering to do because such setbacks impact many people across the organization. In contrast, with him holding the lead, he felt the aggressive scrap was unnecessary, emphasizing his view that the team could have easily had that one-two finish today, which would have been huge for the squad and for everyone back at the factory who worked so hard to bring upgrades.
Absence of Clear Rules of Engagement
Hamilton admitted being deeply torn and frustrated, explaining that while he was happy that Kimi Antonelli won the championship, he was simultaneously extremely angry about lost points after the team worked so hard. Looking ahead, the driver expressed uncertainty about what happens next at Ferrari, how discussions will unfold upon returning to headquarters, and how he wants to engage in those conversations. He revealed that Ferrari does not have rules of engagement, questioning whether establishing them would change anything from Leclerc's side. Emphasizing that they have to figure the situation out because something definitely needs to change, Hamilton stated that having a team-mate work against you and losing positions like that is tough, adding that they will simply talk about it offline and that it was not worth saying much more.
