Hamilton confirms Leclerc races him harder than any rival after Mexico collision

Lewis Hamilton has confirmed he believes Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc races him harder than he does any rival driver, speaking one week after the pair collided on the opening lap of the Mexican Grand Prix and gifted Max Verstappen a victory that Ferrari had been well-placed to claim.

The two Ferrari drivers made contact at Turn 4 on lap one in Mexico City, with both going off the circuit. Leclerc cut the corner and retained his position ahead of Hamilton, receiving only a five-second penalty — reduced from ten seconds on mitigation — for gaining a lasting advantage. Ferrari ultimately finished second and fourth, surrendering what had looked like a viable 1-2 result.

When asked directly whether he had noticed Leclerc treating him more aggressively than other competitors, Hamilton was unequivocal. “Yes. I see what you see,” the seven-time world champion said. “In Singapore, he was fully on the inside into Turn 1, he had won the lead, and he backed off. It was definitely different.”

Hamilton also drew a broader pattern, noting the dynamic is not unique to their pairing. “If you look at the team-mates, it was the same with Sebastian [Vettel]. It was the same with Carlos [Sainz],” he added, suggesting Leclerc has historically reserved his sharpest racing for those sharing his garage.

The Singapore comparison is particularly pointed: Leclerc held the inside line on polesitter Verstappen at Turn 1 but yielded, yet at the subsequent United States Grand Prix in Austin he did race the Red Bull driver hard, overtaking him around the outside of the Esses.

In the immediate aftermath of Mexico, Hamilton demanded clarity on Ferrari’s internal rules of engagement and warned of “big problems” if the situation went unresolved. Team principal Fred Vasseur has since spoken separately to both drivers, with sources indicating he felt the incident showed a lack of respect toward Ferrari’s workforce of around 2,000 people.

However, with Vasseur returning to Europe between races and Leclerc spending time with his family following the birth of his daughter, Hamilton says the necessary conversations have not yet fully taken place. “Naturally I was frustrated, and I’m still frustrated,” he said. “Conversations need to be had. We will have those when the time permits.”

Hamilton was keen to acknowledge Ferrari’s broader progress despite the tension. “The team has done such an amazing job in bringing upgrades this year,” he said. “We’ve scored more points than any other team in the last three or four races.” The praise underlines that the friction between the two drivers sits against a backdrop of genuine on-track momentum for the Scuderia — making the internal friction all the more costly.