ewis Hamilton has suggested that Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc races him more aggressively than other drivers, admitting he remains frustrated by their first-lap battle at the Mexico City Grand Prix and the team’s missed opportunity to secure a one-two finish.
Speaking ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion revealed that he had yet to discuss the incident in detail with Leclerc and Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur.
Hamilton believes Ferrari had the potential to achieve a significantly stronger result in Mexico, particularly after the progress the Scuderia has made throughout the season.
However, the opening-lap confrontation between its two drivers left the Briton disappointed, with questions remaining over how the team should manage similar situations in future races.
Hamilton Still Frustrated by Ferrari’s Mexican GP Battle
“I was frustrated, and I still am. We need to have discussions, so we’ll have them when the time allows,” Hamilton said.
The Ferrari driver explained that the opportunity to address the incident had been limited by circumstances following the race.
Vasseur returned to Europe to continue working with the team, while Leclerc was attending to family commitments following the birth of his daughter, Bianca.
“Fred went back to Europe to be with the team. Obviously, Charles is looking after his family,” Hamilton explained.
“We had an opportunity to win for the team. The team has done an absolutely remarkable job bringing upgrades this year.
“Everyone has worked tirelessly throughout the season to try to close the gap, given the power we have available.”
Hamilton was particularly keen to recognise Ferrari’s efforts, highlighting the significant improvements achieved through its development programme and changes to its approach to race weekends.
The seven-time champion believes those gains have helped Ferrari become increasingly competitive, making the missed opportunity in Mexico all the more frustrating.
“I think they’ve done an incredible job. We’ve made a lot of changes to the way we approach race weekends,” he continued.
“You could really see that we’ve made huge progress, and we’ve scored more points than any other team over the last three races, three or four.
“We could easily have had a one-two. So we absolutely need to work to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Hamilton’s assessment underlines his belief that Ferrari’s recent progress should be reflected in stronger race results, particularly when both drivers are in a position to challenge near the front.
Hamilton Says Leclerc Is More Aggressive Against Him
Beyond the disappointment of Mexico, Hamilton also addressed the way Leclerc approaches wheel-to-wheel battles against his own team-mate.
The Briton was asked whether he believed the Monegasque raced him more aggressively than other competitors, following comparisons with Leclerc’s approach during his battle with Max Verstappen in Singapore.
Hamilton offered an immediate response.
“Yes,” he replied.
When asked to elaborate on why he felt Leclerc treated him differently on track, Hamilton declined to provide further details.
“I can’t say any more.”
Although brief, his answer suggested that the issue extended beyond the events of the Mexican Grand Prix.
Hamilton subsequently pointed to Leclerc’s previous Ferrari team-mates, indicating that he believed the Monegasque had demonstrated a similarly uncompromising approach in earlier intra-team battles.
“If you look at his team-mates, it was the same with Sebastian. It was the same with Carlos.”
Hamilton was referring to Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz, who partnered Leclerc at Ferrari before the seven-time champion joined the Italian outfit.
His comments suggest that he sees Leclerc’s aggressive approach towards team-mates as an established characteristic rather than something directed exclusively at him.
However, Hamilton did not identify specific incidents involving Vettel or Sainz to support the comparison.
Ferrari Faces Questions Over Its Driver Rivalry
The remarks come at an important point in Ferrari’s season, with the team showing encouraging signs of improvement following a series of developments to its car.
Hamilton believes those gains have created opportunities for stronger results, but the events in Mexico highlighted the potential consequences when its drivers become involved in a closely contested battle.
While he has made clear that he considers Leclerc particularly aggressive in their direct confrontations, Hamilton has not publicly elaborated on the reasons behind that assessment.
His comments represent his own interpretation of their on-track encounters, rather than an established conclusion about Leclerc’s conduct.
The situation also remains unresolved internally, with Hamilton confirming that discussions involving Leclerc and Vasseur have yet to take place.
For Ferrari, the challenge will be to ensure that its two drivers can compete effectively without compromising the team’s opportunities as its competitiveness continues to improve.
With the Brazilian Grand Prix approaching, Hamilton remains focused on the result he believes Ferrari let slip in Mexico.
The Briton has made clear that he wants the matter addressed, both to understand what happened and to prevent another missed opportunity for the Scuderia.
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