Every word of Lewis Hamilton’s amazing interview calling out his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc
Lewis Hamilton didn’t hold back when talking about his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, after the Mexican Grand Prix. This race also saw Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli become the youngest-ever F1 world champion at just 20 years old. Antonelli finished third behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Hamilton, wrapping up the title early in the 2026 season.
During the race, Hamilton started on pole but got into a battle with Leclerc on the first lap. Later, Hamilton hinted that this tussle cost Ferrari a possible win in Mexico City.
Their clash at Turn 4 led to Leclerc getting a five-second penalty for passing Hamilton off track. But instead of giving the spot back, Leclerc kept going, which really upset Hamilton. “Got pushed out by my own teammate,” he said over the team radio.
Leclerc, who finished fourth, admitted the penalty was deserved but said it was a confusing situation since they both missed the turn. “I stayed ahead, then Max passed Lewis. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I kept my position and took the penalty,” he explained.
After the race, Hamilton also accused Leclerc of working against him and warned that unless something changes, similar problems will happen again. When asked how Ferrari should handle it, Hamilton said he wasn’t sure yet how they would talk things over. He was torn between feeling happy for Antonelli’s win but frustrated about losing points that could have meant a Ferrari one-two finish.
“We had the pace and were first and second going into Turn 4. If we had just held position, anything could have happened. But when your teammate works against you and you lose spots, it’s tough,” Hamilton said. “We’ll talk about it privately, but something’s got to change.”
Hamilton has had similar battles with teammates like George Russell and Nico Rosberg before. When asked if this was any different, he said not really. He reminded everyone that every move on track affects the whole team, and working together is part of their job. “It’s a shame to lose like this. We need a serious conversation so it doesn’t happen again,” he added.
Reflecting on past teammate battles, Hamilton said, “Sometimes things get heated, but usually we get it right most of the time. We’ll have good talks to sort it out.”
He also mentioned watching Leclerc and Carlos Sainz battle heavily for several races while at Mercedes, which let others pull ahead. “That’s one thing when it’s for fourth or fifth, but when it costs a win for first and second, it’s a big deal,” Hamilton said. “I don’t think it’s about age; it’s about mentality — it’s like either I win, or none of us do. But it should be about getting that one-two finish and celebrating as a team.”
Hamilton said he could have pushed things more aggressively with Leclerc at Silverstone but chose not to, helping the team secure first and third instead. “I’m happy for the team to experience this, and I hope we can work better together in the future.”
F1 will be back with the Brazilian Grand Prix on November 8.