Hamilton calls for Ferrari talks after first-lap fight with Leclerc in Mexico

Lewis Hamilton has called for Ferrari to hold “serious talks behind closed doors” after his first-lap fight with Charles Leclerc in the Mexico City Grand Prix. He says the battle cost the team victory.

Leclerc cut a chicane to take the lead from Hamilton, who then lost second place to Max Verstappen. Leclerc kept the lead and received a five-second penalty, but could not build a large enough gap to offset it. Verstappen followed him into the pits and overtook him, going on to win with Hamilton second.

During a red-flag stoppage, Hamilton had told the team over the radio: “We've got big problems.” After the race, he said Ferrari had the pace for a one-two if its drivers had held position, while acknowledging that anything could happen in a race.

Hamilton called Leclerc’s challenge unnecessary and accused his team-mate of working against him. He said Ferrari had no rules of engagement between its drivers and he did not know whether introducing them would change Leclerc’s approach, but insisted something needed to change.

Leclerc said he would speak to Hamilton. He said both drivers had missed the corner and that, with Verstappen already second, he felt it was worth keeping the lead. He added that he could also be unhappy about Hamilton pushing him off track at the exit of Turn 1, but considered it part of racing for a win.

The tension followed earlier flashpoints in 2026. Leclerc pushed Hamilton off track at the first corner of the Italian Grand Prix; at the previous race, he ignored an order to let Hamilton past when they were on different strategies. In Singapore, Hamilton felt Ferrari should have let him through when the drivers were on different tyres, but the team declined to make the call.

Team principal Fred Vasseur said after the race that he was frustrated, particularly for the 2,000 people working on the project. He said Ferrari would discuss the incident that evening and fix it the following day.