Hamilton breaks silence on private Leclerc talks after Ferrari tensions

The tensions between the Ferrari teammates escalated during the opening lap of the Mexican Grand Prix, when Leclerc attempted to overtake Hamilton around the outside of Turn 4. Both drivers ran wide, with Leclerc cutting across the grass before rejoining ahead of his teammate.

The incident allowed Max Verstappen to capitalise on their battle and eventually claim victory, despite Ferrari appearing well placed to secure a one-two finish. Leclerc subsequently received a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage off the track.

Hamilton was particularly frustrated by the incident and called for clearer rules of engagement between the two drivers, questioning how aggressively Leclerc raced him compared to their rivals.

Ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Vasseur organised a meeting with both drivers on Thursday evening, stressing that Ferrari's interests must take priority over their individual battles.

Speaking after Sunday's race at Interlagos, Hamilton revealed that Vasseur initially attended the discussion before leaving the teammates to address their differences privately.

On track, Hamilton endured a frustrating afternoon despite making a spectacular start, gaining around 11 positions on the opening lap. However, the Ferrari driver struggled to maintain his progress as his rear tyres rapidly deteriorated, leaving him battling severe oversteer.

"After the first few laps, the tyres just started to fall on the rear and the car moved to massive, massive oversteer," he explained.

Hamilton also suffered a late spin when another shower hit Interlagos, revealing that he was unaware of how significantly the conditions had deteriorated at Turn 1: "I get to Turn 1, and it's drenched. And so I didn't get that information."

Despite the setbacks, Hamilton praised Ferrari's efforts throughout the weekend and stressed the importance of continuing to fight for second place in the constructors' championship.