Lewis Hamilton demands team comes first after Leclerc clash.
Lewis Hamilton has said Ferrari threw away a win at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix because he and Charles Leclerc never agreed how to race each other. The seven-time world champion started from pole position but finished second behind Max Verstappen after a first-lap clash with his teammate.
Hamilton took his first pole position in a Ferrari, and his first since 2023, and he led into Turn 1. The weekend ended with Kimi Antonelli crowned world champion, but Ferrari left Mexico City asking hard questions about a race it believed it could have won, according to The Independent.
Hamilton Reacts: Team Must Come Before Teammate Battles
Hamilton said he gave everything in the race, but that it was lost in the first two corners and that Ferrari could easily have finished first and second. He explained that the two drivers had not sat down to talk beforehand, and that racing a teammate is perfectly fair as long as it does not damage the team result. In his view, the team has to come first.
He added that the outcome cost Ferrari the win, points and second place in the team championship. It also affected the people who put in the hard work and the tifosi, he said. Hamilton described the situation as one that needs discussion, adding that the matter would be taken offline.
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Drivers’ Briefing and the Penalty Hamilton Wanted Applied
Before the podium ceremony, Hamilton told Nico Rosberg that Ferrari had the pace to win but that it was not meant to be. He said the drivers’ briefing had covered this exact situation: a driver who goes off at Turn 1 must give the position back. Hamilton recalled that he received a 10-second penalty for a similar offence last year.
Ultimately, he said, the opening-lap incident lost Ferrari the win, and he called for serious talks behind the scenes. He also praised the team’s hard work and said he had full faith in it, while hoping Ferrari will have an engine next year that can compete with Mercedes, who he said were flying past on the straights.
How the Opening Lap Unfolded in Mexico City
Hamilton and Leclerc ran side by side through the tight Turns 1 and 2. Leclerc then attacked around the outside into Turn 4, and both drivers went off the track. Leclerc cut across the grass and emerged in front, which allowed Verstappen to pass Hamilton for second place.
Leclerc was given a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. Formula 1 reported that a 10-second penalty was not applied because both drivers had gone off. Hamilton reacted furiously on the radio, saying “the stewards are basically handing Charles this win,” and warned of big problems at the team.
Leclerc and Vasseur Respond to the Ferrari Clash
Leclerc defended his move. He said there was a gap at Turns 1 and 2 and that he will go for it when fighting for a win, adding that both drivers failed to make the corner at Turns 4 and 5. He said he had considered giving the position back, but once Verstappen passed Hamilton he felt it was worth trying to keep it, and he checked with the team on the radio. Leclerc accepted that Hamilton would have disliked those first laps and said the two would talk.
Team principal Fred Vasseur appeared to side with Hamilton, according to The Independent. He spoke about respect for the team and the work done night and day, said it was difficult to digest giving up a win like this, and admitted he was a bit down. Vasseur pointed out that Ferrari had been running one-two in Mexico and still lost the race. He said he would discuss each driver’s comments with them individually.
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Verstappen Wins Mexico City Grand Prix as Antonelli Seals the Title
Leclerc built a 3.2-second gap to Verstappen by Lap 12 and led by almost five seconds when the pair pitted after 27 laps. Verstappen rejoined ahead once Leclerc’s penalty had been served, while Hamilton stopped a lap later and came out 3.3 seconds behind Leclerc. A standing restart then reset the field, and Leclerc lost out on the second restart to finish fourth.
Verstappen held off Hamilton to claim his sixth win in Mexico and his third victory in four races. Antonelli finished third, and that was enough to make him the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history at 20 years old. He clinched the crown in the 19th of 23 rounds, needing only to score points as long as Hamilton and George Russell did not win.
After the chequered flag, Hamilton and Verstappen lifted Antonelli onto their shoulders in Mexico and reflected on his maiden title together in the cooldown room. Hamilton, whom Antonelli was chosen to replace at Mercedes, was three years and 39 days older than the Italian when he won the first of his seven crowns. Lando Norris finished fifth ahead of Russell. It was a moment of respect between rivals on an afternoon when the race itself had been anything but clean.
F1 Championship Standings After the Mexican Grand Prix
Antonelli leads the Drivers’ Championship on 380 points. Verstappen moved up to second on 261 points, 119 behind the champion, while Hamilton remains third on 259 points, just two adrift of Verstappen. Leclerc is fifth on 245 points.
With four rounds remaining, the focus now turns to how Ferrari resolves the question Hamilton raised. Both drivers have said they will talk, and Vasseur has promised separate conversations, but the Mexico City result showed how quickly an unresolved teammate battle can cost a team a win.