Lewis Hamilton stated that Ferrari "have to have some serious talks behind closed doors" after internal clashes between teammates cost the team a potential victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The incident occurred on the first lap when Charles Leclerc cut a chicane to take the lead from Hamilton.
This maneuver by Leclerc resulted in Hamilton losing second place to Max Verstappen, who went on to win the race. Hamilton finished second, with Kimi Antonelli securing third and becoming the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history.
"Ultimately, that lost us the win today," Hamilton commented on the events. He expressed his concerns during a red-flag period caused by Valtteri Bottas' crash, stating over team radio, "We've got big problems. Big, big problems."
The tension between Hamilton and Leclerc has been a recurring theme this season. Previous incidents include Leclerc pushing Hamilton off track at the Italian Grand Prix and Leclerc ignoring a team order to let Hamilton pass during the race before that when they were on different strategies. In Singapore, Hamilton felt he should have been allowed to pass Leclerc when they were on different tire compounds, but Ferrari did not issue the instruction.
Team principal Frederic Vasseur has not yet spoken to the media following the race.