Hamilton calls for 'serious talks' at Ferrari after clash with Leclerc

Ferrari Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton has called for "serious talks" within the team after a first-lap incident with team-mate Charles Leclerc at the Mexico City Grand Prix, a round of the Formula 1 world championship. Team principal Frederic Vasseur suggested the drivers had not shown enough respect for the team. The dispute heads into the next race, in Brazil, unresolved.

What happened at the start

Leclerc attacked Hamilton on the outside going into Turn 4 but braked too late and cut the corner, which put him in the lead. Hamilton briefly went off track and lost a place to Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The stewards gave Leclerc a five-second time penalty, and Verstappen passed him during the pit stop phase. Verstappen went on to win, with Hamilton second and Leclerc fourth.

Hamilton and Vasseur react

Hamilton said the incident cost the team the win and that serious talks were needed behind the scenes. He said the team is working hard and the car has improved, and that Ferrari could easily have had a one-two. He added that the team has no "rules of engagement" and that something has to change. On the team radio he said "we've got big problems".

Vasseur said his discussion with the drivers before the Sao Paulo Grand Prix would be "a matter of respect". In his words, the drivers work not for themselves but for a group, for sponsors and for the company's 2,000 people.

Earlier friction

Hamilton and Leclerc have been team-mates since the start of 2025 and have clashed several times. In September, after being forced wide by Leclerc at the Italian Grand Prix, Hamilton accused Ferrari of having "no rules" and called for rules of engagement like those he had at Mercedes.