The title race is deep in Ferrari’s territory after the Mexican Grand Prix, where a victory had seemed possible. However, Charles Leclerc’s attack on Lewis Hamilton at the start ruined the race for both of them. Leclerc received a five-second penalty, while Hamilton went off the track. This allowed Max Verstappen to pass both of them and secure the win, while Ferrari lost the chance of a 1-2 finish.
Lewis Hamilton expressed his strong dissatisfaction after the race, stating that “your teammate is working against you”. He stressed that the team’s interest should always come first, adding: “I lost a win and Ferrari lost points for second place in the constructors’ championship. This is a lack of respect for everyone who works in the factory.” Hamilton suggested that it was not a matter of age but of mentality, and that “something needs to change” following face-to-face discussions.
For his part, Charles Leclerc tried to calm tensions, admitting that the penalty was “clearly deserved”. He explained that both drivers braked too late and missed the corner. His aim was to return the position to Hamilton, but Max Verstappen’s intervention made the situation unclear. Leclerc emphasized that they will talk about the incident.
Tensions remain high within the team, with team principal Frederic Vasseur not hiding his anger. He called the incident “a major lack of respect for the brand and the team’s efforts”. Vasseur stressed that it was difficult to accept losing a win in this way, especially since the team had made progress in performance. “When you start first and third in Mexico, you don’t expect to finish second and fourth,” he said.
Hamilton and Leclerc are also in a close battle in the individual championship. The next race in Brazil offers Ferrari an opportunity to quell the controversy, but Frederic Vasseur will face the difficult challenge of repairing the relationship between the two drivers, which has been significantly damaged after the incident in Mexico.
Taken from La Gazzetta dello Sport