Charles Leclerc takes a gentle jab at Lewis Hamilton in his first message since the Mexico City GP controversy.
Charles Leclerc seemed to take a subtle shot at Lewis Hamilton in his first message since the Ferrari incident at the Mexico City GP.
Hamilton started on pole but finished second to Max Verstappen, while Kimi Antonelli became the youngest F1 world champion at 20 by taking third place.
On the first lap, Leclerc and Hamilton clashed at Turn 4, with Leclerc receiving a five-second penalty for passing Hamilton off the track. Leclerc didn’t give the place back, and Hamilton was visibly upset on team radio, saying he was “pushed out by my own teammate.”
Leclerc, who finished fourth, said he deserved the penalty. Hamilton later said Leclerc’s actions cost Ferrari a win at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and claimed Leclerc was “working against” him. He said, “He’s 28, so it’s not about age, it’s about mindset. It’s like ‘win or lose,’ but it should be about us getting a one-two finish because that feels good.” He also mentioned they’d talk about it privately, though it won’t be easy.
Leclerc explained why he kept the lead after the race but first posted a congratulations to Antonelli on Instagram. He also hinted that Ferrari will try harder next year. He wrote: “What a year @kimi.antonelli, flawless from start to finish. So well deserved, really happy for you. We’ll work hard to make it tougher for you next year.”
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur was very angry about how the race went. He said there was a “lack of respect” shown, both for the team and the brand. Speaking to Canal+, he said, “It’s hard to accept because we’ve made big progress, and losing a win like that hurts.”
He added, “They’re not just racing for themselves; they’re racing for the whole team, the sponsors, and the 2,000 people working here.”
Ferrari sits second in the constructors’ championship, 126 points behind Mercedes, as the Brazilian GP at Autódromo José Carlos Pace approaches next weekend.