Charles Leclerc has moved to draw a line under Ferrari’s Mexico City fallout, insisting that his relationship with Lewis Hamilton is back on an even keel after the pair’s bruising first-lap encounter.
The Scuderia’s drivers found themselves at the centre of a heated battle at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez last Sunday, with their aggressive opening-lap exchanges ultimately compromising the team’s chances of challenging Max Verstappen for victory.
What followed was almost as uncomfortable as the on-track confrontation, with Hamilton making little secret of his dissatisfaction with Leclerc’s “do or die” aggression, and calling for “serious talks” to prevent a repeat.
Those discussions have now taken place, with team principal Fred Vasseur bringing both drivers together after arriving in Sao Paulo on Thursday evening. His message was reportedly straightforward: individual ambitions must take a back seat when Ferrari's interests are at stake.
And, at least according to Leclerc, the matter is now closed.
Leclerc puts Mexico controversy behind him
Speaking after Friday's running at Interlagos, the Monegasque acknowledged that the events of the previous week had generated more than enough noise, but suggested there was little point in allowing the disagreement to linger.
“Obviously there’s been a lot of things, probably too much things, in the last week,” Leclerc said.
“We’ve spoken and I think everything is settled and I’m looking forward to the rest of the weekend now.”
It was a notably conciliatory response following Hamilton's public frustration, although the real test will come when the two Ferrari drivers next find themselves fighting for position on track.
For now, Vasseur will be relieved to have his drivers singing from the same hymn sheet, particularly with the team's competitive situation offering little room for additional distractions.
Friday, in fact, provided precious little encouragement. Ferrari appeared to be trailing its three principal rivals, with Hamilton sixth and Leclerc seventh in the combined timesheets. The latter had already lost valuable track time after sitting out FP1 to accommodate rookie Dino Beganovic, but made no attempt to attribute his lack of pace solely to that absence.
A difficult Friday amid a very special week
Leclerc was unusually blunt about his experience behind the wheel of the SF-26, describing his FP2 outing as one of his most uncomfortable of the season.
The Ferrari driver now intends to make substantial adjustments overnight in the hope of finding a more competitive balance.
“The FP2 was very tricky, actually. If anything, one of the worst feelings I've had this year in the car,” he said.
“So, there's plenty to work on, and it didn't feel quite right. But I've got some ideas. We'll change the car I think quite significantly, and we'll see how it goes.
“I hope we can do a step forward because even though I missed FP1, I don't think there was much performance in that. It's just the raw pace wasn't great today.”
Yet the difficulties of Friday were hardly the defining feature of Leclerc's week. The 28-year-old arrived in Brazil later than planned after he and wife Alexandra welcomed their first child, Bianca, earlier in the week.
Understandably, the experience has dwarfed the usual pressures of an F1 weekend, with Leclerc making no attempt to conceal just how profoundly the arrival of his daughter has affected him.
Read also: Vasseur lays down the law after Hamilton-Leclerc fallout
“It's definitely the most special thing ever,” he admitted. “You kind of expect it because I've always wanted to be a young dad, and obviously with with Alex, we felt like it was the right time.
“It's a very, very special moment and definitely a week I will forever remember for all the positive reasons. Then, of course, there's been other things going on as well, but for me, this weekend was all about this week was all about Bianca, and it's been it's been incredible.”
After a week of personal milestones, public criticism and an uncomfortable Ferrari debrief, Leclerc will be hoping Sao Paulo offers a welcome change of subject.
The Mexico disagreement may be officially settled, but Ferrari still has plenty of work to do to get its season back on track.
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