Furious Vasseur Accuses Hamilton and Leclerc of 'Lack of Respect' After Mexico Collapse

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has accused Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc of showing a “lack of respect” after their opening-lap fight turned a likely Mexican Grand Prix win into second and fourth. Ferrari held first and second after Turn 1, but the intra-team battle let Max Verstappen pounce and win.

Why it matters:

Vasseur’s anger exposes the tension inside a Ferrari squad that believed it had made a real performance step. Losing from a dominant early position hurts; losing through a self-inflicted teammate fight cuts at discipline and title ambitions.

The details:

• Hamilton defended before Leclerc ran across the grass at Turn 4 and emerged ahead. Verstappen exploited the confusion; Leclerc received a five-second penalty.
• Vasseur told Canal+: “I find it hard to swallow because, quite frankly, I think it’s a lack of respect. A lack of respect for the brand, for everyone who works here.”
• He refused to single out one driver, saying both went wide and that Ferrari’s 2,000 staff and sponsors suffer. “They’re not racing for themselves.”
• Vasseur had not yet spoken to either driver, but Hamilton also called for serious internal talks.

What’s next:

Ferrari will clear the air before Brazil. Vasseur said the quick turnaround helps: “We can sit down tonight or tomorrow morning, discuss it, clear everything up and then immediately turn our attention to Sao Paulo.”