Hamilton demands Ferrari hold serious talks after Leclerc clash hands Verstappen Mexico GP win

Lewis Hamilton finished second at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday after a first-lap clash with Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc handed Max Verstappen a victory Hamilton believes should have been his own.

Hamilton had started from pole and led through Turn 1, but Leclerc made an aggressive move at Turn 4 that sent both drivers off the track, with Leclerc rejoining ahead after cutting the corner over the grass. The stewards issued Leclerc a five-second penalty, and when he served it during his pitstop, Verstappen moved ahead and held on to win. Hamilton crossed the line second, with this year’s Formula 1 champion Kimi Antonelli third.

“Ultimately it was that that lost us the win today,” Hamilton said after the race. “I think we have to have some serious talks behind the scenes for sure.”

Hamilton also pointed to the drivers’ briefing held before the race, in which the protocol for going off-track at Turn 1 had been explicitly discussed. “As soon as you go off in Turn 1, you have to give the position back,” he said, adding that he himself received a 10-second penalty for the same move at the same corner in 2025 while battling Verstappen.

The stewards acknowledged the precedent but reduced the penalty from the 10-second baseline, citing mitigating circumstances. Their ruling noted that both cars had entered the corner too fast to remain on track and that Leclerc was “not entitled to claim the corner” — but that Hamilton’s own car was also off the track on the inside at the time.

Despite his frustration, Hamilton was measured in his assessment of Ferrari’s broader progress. “The good thing is the team are working really hard. We’ve really improved our car,” he said. “We’re on the old engine this weekend as well. So good result, good points. Shame we didn’t get a win, but some you win, some you lose.”

Ferrari outscored Mercedes 30 points to 23 in Mexico City, trimming the gap between the two constructors in the championship to 126 points.