The Mexican Grand Prix was supposed to be all about Kimi Antonelli winning his maiden championship. Instead, the civil war inside Ferrari stole a part of his spotlight. From moves undertaken on track to comments made in post-race interviews, the situation soured relationships within the historic team. When all was said and done, who was in the wrong, and what did the weekend reveal about the state of the Scuderia?
Ferrari In Mexico
Charles Leclerc was rapid in Friday’s practice sessions, leading many fans to believe that Mexico could see him qualify on pole. His performance, however, fell away a day later. In the end, he settled for a place on the second row. In the meantime, his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, put together an incredible lap that made him the proud polesitter. With one car in P1 and the other in P3, Ferrari was set for a very promising race.
What should have been a straightforward race start for the Italian team took a turn almost immediately, as Leclerc overtook George Russell, moving into P2. This put him right behind his teammate, and since the Monegasque isn’t a driver satisfied with being a runner-up, he quickly began attacking Hamilton. As he attempted a Ferrari-on-Ferrari overtake in one of the first corners, the two cars touched, sending Hamilton off track and forcing Leclerc to cut through the grass.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton in action during the race IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Michael Johnson
The move put Leclerc in the lead, but it was not legal, and thus the driver was soon handed a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. This did not satisfy Hamilton, who had fallen to P3 following the incident. He made multiple comments alluding to the fact that the punishment was not severe enough, given that Leclerc was rapidly making up time by driving in clean air.
Ultimately, Hamilton did take the position back, but, despite his best efforts, he was unable to overtake Max Verstappen, the man who led the race in its second half, and secure a win for Ferrari.
The Tense Aftermath
If he wanted to avoid the penalty, Leclerc could have given the position back to his teammate. The problem was that, in the meantime, Verstappen appeared between the two Ferraris. This meant that to do right by Hamilton, the Monegasque would have had to play into Red Bull’s hands. When asked about it in a post-race interview, Leclerc said:
In Turns 4 and 5, Lewis and I both braked late. We were fighting for the win, and I expected Lewis not to give me much room, just as I wouldn’t give him much room either. But we both went too far. That meant I cut the track, Max overtook Lewis, and I was then in a very confusing situation. I asked the team, and the situation was confusing enough for me to keep the position and accept the deserved penalty.
Hamilton did not hide his frustration with the situation. On top of the comments made during the Grand Prix, he also spared no harsh words as he commented on the situation after the race had ended:
Before I joined this team, when I was in Mercedes, I watched and witnessed the back-and-forth between Charles and Carlos. Several races where they were battling so much that the person ahead just pulled away, and they had the pace to actually win the race.
It’s one thing when that’s happening in fourth and fifth as opposed to first and second, and you lose the win. That’s significant. The guy is 28 years old, so I don’t think it’s an age thing. I think it’s a mentality thing. It’s like do or die. Like, either I win, or none of us do, and it shouldn’t be that. It should be, us having got that one-two, which is still a good feeling.
At Silverstone, I could have gone all kamikaze on him and taken him off and lost us the the win, but instead a one-two was there, and I think we got a one-two, or was it a one-three? I’m happy for the team to have experienced that. I’m hopeful we’ll work towards a better place in the future.
The drivers weren’t the only people who expressed their opinions about the situation. Ferrari’s team principal, Fred Vasseur, also made his stance known. He loudly voiced his frustration following the intra-team battle, making it clear that he does not believe the drivers should put their personal interests above those of the team:
They are not working for themselves. They are working for a group. They are working for a lot of sponsors. They are working for the 2,000 people of the company.
Who Is In The Right?
Leclerc’s move was unnecessary, dangerous, and most probably cost Ferrari the victory. Those are facts that few people can argue with. It would have been better for the team if he had stayed behind Hamilton. I don’t believe that he made a good decision in the moment, but I don’t think it’s fair to draw the conclusion that he is a poor driver or teammate. One cannot be surprised to see a racing driver decide to race his opponents. Leclerc’s overtake was illegal, and thus he was understandably punished. Whether the five-second penalty was enough is a separate question.
Hamilton’s rage is justified. Leclerc’s behaviour did cause significant issues for him, and had it not been for the incident, he would have had a better chance of winning the race. He has every right to feel wronged in the situation. That, however, doesn’t justify the comments he had made after the Grand Prix. Openly criticizing your teammate’s mentality and inadvertently calling him immature is not the behaviour one would expect from a seven-time World Champion.
The actions of both drivers point towards a deeper issue within Ferrari. The team seems disconnected, and it doesn’t feel like either Leclerc or Hamilton are focused on its greater good. It is already all but certain that they will end the 2026 season without either trophy, but 2027 remains a clean slate. If they want to stand a chance of having it develop in Ferrari’s direction, they have to find a way to put the team’s interest above, or at least equal with, their own.
End Of My Ferrari Rant
With the next Grand Prix set to take place this upcoming weekend, the eyes of all fans are directed at Ferrari. Whatever conversations took place behind closed doors, they are sure to impact the way the team approaches the race in Brazil. Will something change, or will the clear animosity between Leclerc and Hamilton taint their performance, jeopardising Ferrari’s position in the Constructors’ Standings?
