'I'm never going to apologise for being authentic and real, I'm not going to be silenced'

The seven-time world champion was left frustrated by events during the opening lap in Mexico, where his battle with teammate Charles Leclerc sparked controversy. His radio messages and subsequent comments attracted attention, raising questions about how Ferrari would respond to his public criticism.

Speaking ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Hamilton was asked how his remarks following the race were received within Ferrari, particularly given the team's history of reacting strongly when drivers publicly express dissatisfaction.

The Briton admitted that he was unaware of how his comments were perceived internally, but insisted that the potential reaction would not influence his approach: "I don't know. I don't really care how everyone feels about what I've said. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I say how I feel in the moment."

Hamilton also addressed suggestions that his radio messages and public statements are deliberately calculated to put pressure on Ferrari or influence how incidents are portrayed in the media.

The seven-time world champion strongly rejected that interpretation, explaining that the physical and mental demands of racing make it impossible to carefully plan every word spoken over the radio.

Hamilton explained that frustration is a natural part of racing, particularly when drivers disagree with decisions made by their teams or believe that incidents on track deserve further investigation.

To illustrate his point, Hamilton recalled an incident involving Isack Hadjar during practice in Mexico, suggesting that drivers sometimes need to make their dissatisfaction obvious to attract the attention of the stewards.

Hamilton concluded by insisting that he would not change his personality or stop expressing his feelings simply because his words might attract criticism: "It is important to make sure you're open. Of course, there's sometimes you say things and maybe you might regret it afterwards, but I don't."

The Ferrari driver then delivered his strongest statement of the press conference: "I'm never going to apologise for being authentic and real. I'm not going to be silenced."

When pressed further on whether he felt Ferrari was attempting to restrict what he could say publicly, Hamilton clarified that the team had not instructed him to remain quiet: "I have not been asked to not say anything, and that's just the way it is."