Lewis Hamilton has expressed his dissatisfaction with teammate Charles Leclerc’s aggressive “do or die” mindset following Ferrari’s missed opportunity for a straightforward victory at the Formula 1 Mexico Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion began in pole position at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, while Leclerc lined up in third. However, he swiftly advanced to second when George Russell faltered into Turn 1.
It was in this moment that the Monegasque driver attempted to pass Hamilton on the outside, aiming to complete the maneuver on the inside of Turn 2, but instead of succeeding, he ended up running over the curb and remained in second place.
Leclerc’s actions continued as he tried again to overtake his teammate from the outer side of Turn 4, but space vanished rapidly. He had to take evasive action, cutting across Turn 5 to assume the lead.
Consequently, Hamilton was overtaken by Max Verstappen, who later clinched first place because of Leclerc’s five-second penalty tied to the initial lap incident, resulting in a win for Red Bull.
The Briton eventually secured second place ahead of newly crowned world champion Kimi Antonelli, while Leclerc finished fourth, leaving Ferrari with just two wins throughout the 2026 season.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photo by: Colin McMaster / LAT Images via Getty Images
An irate Hamilton remarked: “In my time at Mercedes, I observed the back-and-forth between Charles and Carlos [Sainz] across several races, where their battling allowed the competitor ahead to pull away even though they had the pace to win.
“However, it’s one thing to witness that situation occurring between fourth and fifth, and an entirely different story when it leads to a loss in first and second, which is pivotal.
“At 28 years old [sic], I don’t think it’s about age. I believe it pertains to mentality.
“It feels like a situation where it’s ‘do or die.’ The mindset seems to be that it’s either I win or no one else does, which should not be the case. The focus should be on achieving a 1-2 finish for the team.”
Sunday’s race was yet another chapter in a series of contentious interactions between Leclerc and Hamilton, beginning at Zandvoort where the Briton faced delays and voiced his concerns regarding the absence of team orders.
In the subsequent race at Monza, Hamilton lost ground after being forced onto the gravel at Turn 2 by Leclerc, who accepted responsibility for it. Consequently, Hamilton believes “serious discussions” are necessary.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Colin McMaster / LAT Images via Getty Images
However, he remains uncertain about the potential impact of this and after the race in Mexico, Leclerc commented to Sky Sports: “There was an opening, and when fighting for victory, I will always pursue it.”
“I’m unsure of what steps need to be taken moving forward. I don’t know how discussions should unfold when we reconvene,” Hamilton stated.
“While I’m caught in a mix of emotions today—on one hand happy that this guy just clinched the championship, but on the other, extremely frustrated—because we squandered crucial points. Together, as a team, we put in immense effort. We could have secured a 1-2 today; there was definitely enough pace for it.
“As we approached Turn 4 in first and second place, if we had simply maintained our positions, I believe anything could have transpired in the race. But when your teammate acts against you, leading to position losses, it undoubtedly stings.
“Thus, we will discuss this privately. There’s little merit in elaborating further. We lack a formal set of engagement rules, and whether this will change Charles’ approach remains unclear.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photo by: Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 via Getty Images
“We need to find a solution, but clearly something has to give,” he added.
Hamilton’s remarks were directed at the management at Maranello as the team has once again failed to secure a world title, now lagging behind the forthcoming champion Mercedes by 126 points.
Commenting on team principal Fred Vasseur, Hamilton noted, “Fred is putting forth his maximum effort. Before the race, he approached me, and I could sense his anxiety.
“He clearly desires success for both drivers. If I’m taking risks while being behind, yet we still end up on the losing end as a team, I believe I owe an explanation since it affects many individuals.
“On the contrary, if I’m leading, the incident was entirely needless. We could have achieved a 1-2 finish today, which would have been momentous for the team and for everyone back at the factory who has invested so much effort into these upgrades.
“What actions will be taken remain uncertain because thus far, no real changes have occurred. So, we will wait and see.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
