Hamilton says Ferrari's opening-lap fight let Verstappen through

Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari's opening-lap fight with Charles Leclerc allowed Max Verstappen through—and left him believing the Mexico Grand Prix was effectively decided. Asked after the race whether he was surprised by how the lap unfolded, Hamilton said it no longer mattered once Verstappen was ahead: overtaking was too difficult.

Hamilton said the Ferraris were first and second into Turn 4 and had the pace for a one-two if they held position. He acknowledged that a driver cannot always be right in a teammate fight, but said Ferrari should be able to get through such moments nine times out of ten. Verstappen went on to win, with Hamilton second; Hamilton said he gave everything to close on him.

Hamilton linked the difficulty of overtaking to the engine settings. He pointed to clipping at the end of the straight and speed restrictions, saying a car could have more power in the slipstream and still be unable to pass. He described the engine setting as the worst the sport had ever had. Hamilton also said Mexico was difficult to follow because of the thin air and low downforce, and urged the FIA to act.