Hamilton says Leclerc backed out of Singapore duel with Verstappen

Lewis Hamilton says Charles Leclerc is more aggressive in battles with him than with other drivers. He pointed to the Singapore start: Leclerc was on the inside, wheel-to-wheel with Max Verstappen, Hamilton said. In Hamilton’s view, Leclerc could have taken the lead and won the race, but backed out. Hamilton added that he had seen the same pattern with Leclerc’s former team-mates Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz.

The comments came four days after the Mexico Grand Prix, where Hamilton and Leclerc fought during the race. Hamilton said he remained frustrated, that Ferrari could have secured a relatively easy one-two, and that discussions were still needed. He praised the team’s upgrades and its work to close the gap despite a power deficit, but said the team needed to work to ensure the same thing did not happen again.