Hamilton refuses to retract criticism of Leclerc after Mexico Grand Prix clash
Lewis Hamilton said he would not back down from his criticism of Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc following their clash at the Mexico Grand Prix last weekend, speaking ahead of this weekend’s São Paulo Grand Prix. Hamilton told reporters he would not be silenced and insisted he had not been asked to stop speaking about the incident.
On the opening lap at turn four in Mexico, Leclerc attempted a pass on Hamilton, went off track and, according to the team account of events, Hamilton’s defensive move left Leclerc vulnerable to being passed by Max Verstappen, who went on to win and denied Ferrari a potential one-two. Ferrari do not operate formal rules of engagement between drivers, and Hamilton said the organisation had “big, big problems”, later directly blaming his team-mate for costing them a shot at victory.
After the race Hamilton criticised Leclerc’s approach, saying: "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'," he said.
Speaking before the São Paulo weekend Hamilton reiterated his refusal to retract his comments: “I don’t really care what everyone thinks about what I said, I wear my heart on my sleeve and I say how I feel in the moment,” he said. “Of course there’s sometimes you say things and maybe you might regret it afterwards. I don’t. “I’m never going to apologise for being authentic and real and I’m not going to be silenced. I have not been asked to not say anything and that’s just the way it is.”
Leclerc did not take part in media commitments on Thursday in São Paulo as he was attending the birth of his first child and has yet to respond to Hamilton’s remarks. Hamilton said Ferrari needed to address the issue internally and noted that he and Leclerc had not yet had the chance to speak with team principal Fred Vasseur.
Leclerc has driven for the Scuderia since 2019 and Hamilton joined Ferrari in 2025; the pair reportedly enjoyed a constructive relationship last year but have clashed on track this season, with the Mexico incident the third occasion they have been at odds during races. Hamilton has been described in the report as enjoying the better form of the two drivers this season.
Hamilton said he had worked to build rapport with Leclerc and acknowledged the challenge of integrating into an established team, stating: “He is very much embedded within the team and I knew that it would always be a challenge, I’ve always respected that,” he said. “I’ve really worked hard to build a good relationship with Charles and bridge the gap and make sure that we’re harmonious and work hard together. “Naturally, it’s not so easy having someone like me come into a team because I’m very outspoken and I push and push and push for so many changes and I’m going to be pushing for more as long as I’m here. That’s how it’s going to be. “I’m here to win and to be able to win you have to work with everyone around you. I truly believe that this team can be fighting for the championship next year.”
Having secured the drivers’ championship with Kimi Antonelli last weekend, Mercedes can also clinch the constructors’ title in Brazil if they outscore Ferrari by three points.