Lewis Hamilton Criticizes Charles Leclerc for Mexico GP Tactics

Lewis Hamilton has made his displeasure known after clashing with his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc during the opening lap of the Mexican Grand Prix. The duo's skirmish at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez gave Max Verstappen the opportunity to sneak past and gain an advantage, which the Red Bull driver capitalized on to beat Leclerc strategically.

Having secured pole position, Hamilton found himself dropping to third when Leclerc aggressively challenged him. As they approached Turn 4, Leclerc tried an outside maneuver, braking late alongside Hamilton. Both drivers ran wide, with Leclerc eventually cutting across the grass to take the position, while Verstappen slipped past Hamilton.

Hamilton was clearly irked, venting on team radio about being pushed off the track by Leclerc. He was also critical of the stewards' decision to penalize Leclerc with a five-second time penalty, interpreting it as indirectly handing the race to his teammate.

A mid-race red flag temporarily halted proceedings, but post-restart, Hamilton managed to overtake Leclerc, ultimately finishing ahead of him. Verstappen later remarked that Ferrari's internal skirmish had inadvertently aided his victory.

Reflecting on the race, Hamilton expressed uncertainty about how to resolve the recurring issues with Leclerc. He has previously called for Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur to establish 'rules of engagement' after a similar incident at Monza.

"I’m unsure how we’ll address this," Hamilton admitted during the post-race press conference. "I'm torn because I'm happy for Antonelli winning the championship, but also really frustrated. We lost valuable points. We had a chance for a one-two finish with our pace."

He continued, "Going into Turn 4, we were first and second. Holding position could have led to anything in the race. But when your teammate works against you, it's tough. We need to discuss this offline."

Hamilton has experience with fierce competition from teammates, having tussled with George Russell and endured a notorious rivalry with Nico Rosberg. When asked how racing Leclerc compared, Hamilton noted that the core of racing as a team means considering the broader impact of in-car decisions.

"It's no different from my past experiences," he said. "Every decision affects the whole team. Working together is part of our job and contract. It’s disappointing to lose like this, and unless we have serious conversations, it will continue."

Despite previous calls for intervention after the Monza clash, Hamilton observed little change in the team's dynamics. He acknowledged that Ferrari's handling of the situation was not vastly different from his time at Mercedes, but emphasized the need for action.

"I’ve had worse times at Mercedes," he shared. "Fred’s doing his best, but if decisions lead to team losses, it needs addressing. We could have had a one-two today, a huge boost for the team. I’m not sure what will be done, but something needs to change."