Hamilton furious with Leclerc after Mexico lap-one clash costs Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton says he is “really pi**ed” with Charles Leclerc after their opening-lap battle at the Mexico City Grand Prix, accusing his Ferrari teammate of working against him and costing the team a likely one-two.

Why it matters:

Ferrari finally had the pace to control a race from pole, but the intra-team fight let Max Verstappen through and changed the strategic picture. Hamilton believes that is unacceptable for a team chasing every point.

The details:

• Hamilton started from pole but ran wide at Turn 4 while battling Leclerc, allowing Verstappen to slot ahead.
• Leclerc was hit with a five-second penalty for forcing Hamilton off track, though Hamilton felt the sanction effectively handed his teammate the advantage.
• A mid-race red flag reset the order; Verstappen retained the lead and went on to win, while Hamilton passed Leclerc to finish ahead.
• Hamilton said the clash echoed Monza, where he first called for “rules of engagement.” Those rules still do not exist.
• He added that Fred Vasseur spoke to him before the race but conceded nothing meaningful has changed: “something needs to change, for sure.”

What's next:

Hamilton wants a serious, private conversation rather than another public row. Ferrari must decide whether to impose clearer team protocols—or risk more points lost to internal fighting as the season reaches its decisive phase.