Leclerc has a different story to tell after Hamilton's Mexican GP fury
Photo: Race Pictures
Tobia is a Formula 1 journalist at GPblog with experience at international circuits. Since 2022, he has covered Grands Prix across Europe, delivering reliable coverage and insights from the paddock.
Charles Leclerc has defended his aggressive battle with Lewis Hamilton during the Mexican Grand Prix, insisting that both Ferrari drivers made mistakes during their opening-lap confrontation. The Monegasque also responded to his teammate's frustration and questioned the circuit's layout after receiving a penalty for cutting the track.
Speaking to the media after the race, Leclerc explained how the situation unfolded at Turn 4, where both drivers braked too late and ran off the circuit while fighting for the lead, allowing Max Verstappen to slip between the two Ferraris and further complicate the situation.
"Lewis and I both tried to brake very late. We both didn't make the corner. I obviously cut the track which eventually then, after turn five, there was Max in between, which made the situation more confusing. And speaking with the team, they I think it was just confusing enough to keep the position."
Leclerc insisted that neither driver was solely responsible for the incident, arguing that such fine margins were inevitable given what was at stake: "We are fighting for the win, and so, of course, there's going to be very little margin left from him and from me. At the end, we both did a mistake going into turn four. It's not like we had contact or whatsoever. We both went straight."
Photo: Race Pictures
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"Turn one, two, three It was very good, but I was expecting it to fight for the lead. For five, we both made a mistake, but I paid with a penalty. Then you can argue whether it's enough or not, and and Lewis then paid out of five with Max."
The Ferrari driver also suggested that changes to the circuit could help prevent similarly confusing incidents, arguing that the absence of a physical barrier encouraged drivers to push the braking limits further.
"If there was obviously a wall between... At the exit of Turn 4, neither Lewis or I will have pushed the breaking point that much. I think there's some things that we can improve track wise in order to make it more simple because otherwise, it's very complicated."
Leclerc also addressed Hamilton's frustration following the incident, suggesting that his teammate's anger may have been directed more towards the way the situation was handled than towards his driving.
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"I don't know if he was very unhappy with what I did because I felt like it was very much on the limit also. What he did, I think he was maybe more angry with the whole situation, how the situation was dealt in four, five with the penalty, etcetera."
Hamilton blasts Leclerc's 'do or die' mentality after Mexican GP clash
Hamilton, however, offered a much more critical assessment of his teammate's approach following the race. The seven-time world champion questioned Leclerc's mentality when battling another Ferrari driver, recalling occasions when the Monegasque's previous fights with Carlos Sainz allowed rivals to escape despite Ferrari possessing the pace to challenge for victory. Hamilton argued that such situations were particularly damaging when the drivers were fighting for first and second rather than positions further down the order.
The Briton suggested that Leclerc approached certain battles with a 'do or die' mentality, prioritising individual success over the team's opportunity to secure a one-two finish. He dismissed the suggestion that age could explain his teammate's behaviour, instead identifying it as a question of mentality. Hamilton also referred to their previous battle at Silverstone, claiming that he deliberately avoided an overly aggressive move that could have compromised Ferrari's result.
Despite his criticism, Hamilton expressed hope that Ferrari could establish a more constructive working relationship between its drivers and prevent similar situations in the future.
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