Lewis Hamilton has accused Charles Leclerc of working against him after their opening-lap confrontation at the Mexico City Grand Prix undermined Ferrari’s hopes of securing a one-two finish.
Hamilton started from pole and initially held the lead, but Leclerc challenged through the opening corners before both drivers ran off track at Turn 4. The Monegasque rejoined ahead, allowing Max Verstappen to move between the two Ferraris. Verstappen went on to win, with Hamilton second and Leclerc fourth after receiving a five-second penalty.
Hamilton believes Ferrari had the pace to control the race but squandered its advantage through the battle between its drivers.
“We had the car to easily have first and second, but due to the first two corners, that kind of went away. And then after that, we just gave it basically to Max,” the seven-time world champion said.
The Briton also questioned the absence of clear instructions governing how Ferrari’s drivers should compete against each other.
“Working as a team is a part of our job and a part of our contract. We have to work as a team, which we could have easily done today,” he said.
“When your teammate works against you and then you lose positions like that, it’s definitely tough.”
The latest confrontation revives tensions from their earlier clash at the Italian Grand Prix, with Hamilton again calling for clearer rules of engagement.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur shared his frustration, particularly given the team’s position at the front early in the race.
“When you are one-two at Turn 4, you don’t imagine that you won’t win the race,” he said. “They are not working for themselves, they are working for a group.”
Leclerc, meanwhile, said communication with the team had been unclear after the incident, leaving him unsure whether to surrender the position.
“Speaking with the team, I didn’t really have clear feedback. I think it was just confusing enough to keep the position,” he said.
The stewards penalised Leclerc for gaining an advantage by leaving the track, although his punishment was reduced because Hamilton had also gone off.
Vasseur now faces another difficult conversation with his drivers as Ferrari attempt to prevent their rivalry from compromising the team’s ambitions.
