Lewis Hamilton has made it clear that Ferrari cannot simply brush aside the opening-lap controversy that derailed its chances of victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix, calling for “serious talks” behind closed doors after his clash with teammate Charles Leclerc.
What should have been a landmark afternoon for the Scuderia, with Hamilton starting from pole position and seemingly equipped to fight for victory, instead became an uncomfortable exercise in frustration and internal tension.
The flashpoint came almost immediately. Hamilton had initially resisted Leclerc's challenge into the opening corner after George Russell lost momentum from the front row, but the Monegasque was far from finished.
At Turn 4, Leclerc swept around the outside of his teammate, with both Ferraris running wide before the 28-year-old cut across Turn 5 and emerged ahead.
Hamilton was left with little choice but to watch his teammate retain the position, while Max Verstappen capitalised on the disruption to move into second.
For the seven-time world champion, the incident was not simply an aggressive piece of racing between teammates. It was a question of consistency in the application of the rules – and one that he believes Ferrari must address.
Hamilton questions Ferrari's handling of the incident
The Briton's irritation was evident over the team radio as the race unfolded. With Leclerc enjoying clear air at the front, Hamilton was particularly unhappy that his teammate had not been instructed to surrender the position.
“The problem is he's got clean air, and doesn't have to manage like the rest of us. He should just give the place back,” Hamilton told his race engineer.
His frustration intensified a few laps later, when he delivered an even sharper assessment of the situation.
“The stewards are basically handing Charles this win.”
Leclerc eventually received a five-second penalty for the opening-lap incident, but the damage to Ferrari's prospects had already been done.
Although he managed to establish a five-second advantage over Verstappen before his first pitstop, a lengthy 6.3-second stationary visit effectively handed the Dutchman the lead.
A subsequent red flag, triggered by Valtteri Bottas' crash, offered another opportunity to recover. But Leclerc's flat-spotted tyres following the restart further complicated his afternoon, leaving him unable to mount a serious challenge.
Hamilton, meanwhile, remained within striking distance of Verstappen but could find no way past the Red Bull. He eventually crossed the finish line second, just eight tenths of a second behind the winner.
Speaking afterwards, the 41-year-old had regained some composure, although his disappointment was unmistakable.
“A tough day,” he said. “I think we had the pace to win today, but it wasn't meant to be. We'll take it offline and figure out what we can do in the background.
“In the drivers' briefing, we discussed, as soon as you go off in Turn 1, you have to give the position back. Last year, I got a 10-second penalty for that same move that he did.”
Hamilton was referring to his own attempt to pass Verstappen around the outside at Turn 4 during the 2025 Mexican Grand Prix, an incident for which he received a 10-second penalty.
The apparent disparity between the two situations clearly rankled, particularly given the consequences for Ferrari's result.
“But ultimately, it was that that lost us the win today. I think we have to have some serious talks behind the scenes, for sure.”
Hamilton looks ahead to a stronger Ferrari
Despite the obvious disappointment, Hamilton was keen to acknowledge the progress made by Ferrari, whose SF-26 has become increasingly competitive after a difficult start to the campaign.
He also pointed out that the team had been running an older engine specification in Mexico, making the runner-up finish an encouraging result in its own right.
“The good thing is the team are working really hard, we've really improved our car, it's great to be here,” he continued.
“We're on the old engine this weekend as well, so good result, good points, shame we didn't get a win – but you know, some you win, some you lose.”
Yet the Briton knows that Ferrari must address its power deficit if it is to challenge Mercedes consistently, particularly after watching Kimi Antonelli secure the world championship in Mexico and establish himself as Hamilton's successor at the Brackley outfit.
Hamilton was full of praise for the Italian's achievement, but his own competitive ambitions remain firmly intact.
“I'm hoping next year we have an engine to be able to actually compete with them – I mean, this year, they were just flying past us on most of the straights through the year, so if we can fix that and keep this car, the base of it, I think we can do really great. So I'm relying on the team, I have 100% faith in them,” he said.
Read also:
Mexico City GP: Verstappen wins – Antonelli seals word title!
That confidence, however, does not remove the immediate questions hanging over Ferrari. Hamilton may be prepared to put Mexico behind him, but his call for serious discussions suggests the opening-lap episode has exposed an issue that cannot be settled simply by pointing to the final classification.
For a team trying to rebuild its championship credentials, keeping its two drivers pulling in the same direction may prove just as important as finding the extra performance Hamilton believes is still missing.
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