Hamilton accuses Leclerc of 'do or die' mentality after Ferrari throw away Mexico GP win

Lewis Hamilton delivered a pointed public rebuke of team-mate Charles Leclerc after Ferrari squandered a near-certain victory at the Formula 1 Mexico Grand Prix on Sunday, with a lap-one collision between the two drivers gifting Max Verstappen the win at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Hamilton had started from pole, with Leclerc third on the grid. When George Russell lost momentum into Turn 1, Leclerc moved up to second — and immediately began pressing his team-mate. He attacked on the outside heading into Turn 2, then made a second move around the outside of Turn 4. With space disappearing, Leclerc cut Turn 5 to take the lead, earning a five-second penalty that ultimately cost him the race. The chaos allowed Verstappen to pass Hamilton, and the Red Bull driver converted that position into victory.

Hamilton finished second, ahead of new world champion Kimi Antonelli, while Leclerc was classified fourth. Ferrari remain on just two wins in the 2026 campaign.

“When I was at Mercedes, I watched and witnessed the back and forth between Charles and Carlos [Sainz] several races, where they were battling so much that the person ahead just pulled away, and they had the pace to actually win,” Hamilton said. “But it is one thing when that’s happening in fourth and fifth, as opposed to first and second, and you lose the win. That’s significant.”

Hamilton was unsparing in his assessment of Leclerc’s approach. “The guy is 28 years old, so I don’t think it’s an age thing. I think it’s a mentality thing. It’s like, ‘Do or die. Either I win or none of us do’, and it shouldn’t be that. It should be us getting that 1-2.”

Sunday’s incident is the latest in a run of flashpoints between the two Ferrari drivers. At Zandvoort, Hamilton complained of being held up and criticised the team’s reluctance to issue orders. At Monza, he lost positions after being forced onto the gravel at Turn 2 — an incident Leclerc accepted responsibility for. Hamilton said after Mexico that “serious talks” are needed, though he admitted uncertainty about how productive they would be.

Leclerc, for his part, was unapologetic. He told reporters that “there was a gap and when you are fighting for a win, I will always go for it.”

Hamilton acknowledged the emotional complexity of the afternoon, given that Antonelli’s podium confirmed the young Italian as world champion. “I’m really torn because, on one side, I’m happy, and on the other side, I’m really pissed,” he said. “We lost valuable points.”