Vasseur resists written Ferrari rules after third Hamilton-Leclerc flashpoint

RacingNews365 reports that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur continues to resist written rules of engagement for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. He prefers shared principles and post-race debriefs to prescriptive team orders. Their clash in Mexico City was the third significant flashpoint of the campaign.

On the opening lap in Mexico City, Leclerc tried an outside move on Hamilton for the lead at Turn 4. Both cars ran off the circuit; Leclerc cut across the grass at Turn 5 to retake first, while Hamilton rejoined and lost second to Max Verstappen. The stewards gave Leclerc a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage, reduced from 10 seconds because Hamilton had also run wide.

Tensions had surfaced earlier in the season. At the Dutch Grand Prix, Hamilton was held up behind Leclerc on a different strategy; Leclerc was accused of delaying a pit call rather than yielding. At Monza, the pair had a first-corner confrontation on the opening lap, prompting Hamilton to call for clearer driver protocols within the team.

Vasseur rejected suggestions that Mexico's circuit layout was to blame, pointing instead to overly combative racing between the drivers and a lack of respect for Ferrari's wider interests. Hamilton and Leclerc were due to face the media in São Paulo, where the Mexico City clash was expected to be a talking point.