Ferrari boss shares strong message about Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s behavior at the Mexican GP
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur has spoken out strongly after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc clashed at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Kimi Antonelli’s third-place finish was enough to make him the youngest-ever World Champion, with four races left in the 2026 season.
Meanwhile, Hamilton and Leclerc had a battle at Turn 4, where Leclerc passed Hamilton off the track while fighting for the lead. Leclerc got a five-second penalty and ended up fourth.
Hamilton was clearly upset and told his team on the radio, “Got pushed out by my own teammate.” Instead of giving the position back, Leclerc kept going to try and win.
After the race, Hamilton said Leclerc’s move cost the team the victory in Mexico City. Leclerc admitted the penalty was fair.
“It was a bit confusing because we both missed Turn 4. I stayed ahead, then Max passed Lewis. I asked what I should do, and I kept the position and took my penalty,” Leclerc said.
Hamilton later said Leclerc was “working against” him and asked Ferrari to step in.
Ferrari chief Vasseur then spoke up, saying both drivers showed a “lack of respect” for the team.
“It’s hard to accept because this is about respect—for the brand, the people here, and the work we’re doing,” he said. “We’ve really improved, so losing a win like this is tough.”
When asked if he was more upset with Leclerc, Vasseur said, “No, I didn’t blame anyone. Lewis went wide too. But we have to remember, we represent more than just ourselves. We have sponsors and 2,000 people working hard behind us.”
Hamilton added, “Before I joined Ferrari, I saw Charles and Carlos battling, and the one ahead would pull away and win the race. But that was for fourth or fifth place, not first and second. Losing the win like that is big.”
He continued, “It’s not about age, it’s about mindset. It shouldn’t be ‘win or no one wins.’ We should be aiming for one-two finishes. At Silverstone, I could have crashed into him but I didn’t, and we finished first and third.”
“I’m happy the team sees this, and I hope we can work better together in the future,” Hamilton said.
He added, “I gave it my all, but the race was lost in the first few corners. If we’d worked as a team, we could have finished first and second.”
When asked if they talked about handling the start, Hamilton replied, “We didn’t really discuss it. Racing your teammate is fine, as long as it doesn’t hurt the team’s points. Today, we lost the win and points. I dropped to second in the championship. It’s a shame because it affects so many people back at the factory and the fans.”
“Thankfully, we still earned points and can hold second in the constructors’ championship, but it wasn’t a good day,” he added.