‘Either I win, or none of us do’: Hamilton unhappy with Leclerc after costly first-lap battle

Lewis Hamilton has taken a swipe at Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc following a dramatic Mexican Grand Prix, questioning the Monegasque’s mentality after their first-lap battle.

Hamilton, who secured his first pole position in Ferrari colours, looked set for a strong result after making a good start; however, Leclerc launched an aggressive move into Turn 4, forcing Hamilton down to third place.

Leclerc braked late and failed to make the corner, taking to the run-off area in the process. Hamilton subsequently lost another position to Max Verstappen.

Although Leclerc took the lead, his manoeuvre was deemed illegal and he was handed a five-second penalty. The sanction proved costly as Verstappen moved ahead after the first pit stops.

Leclerc eventually finished fourth, while Hamilton recovered to claim second place after overtaking his teammate during the second restart.

Following the race, several fans and pundits felt Ferrari could have secured a comfortable one-two finish had Leclerc avoided such an aggressive battle with Hamilton on the opening lap.

Hamilton was particularly critical of his teammate, suggesting that Leclerc’s approach to racing alongside him was unnecessary.

“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,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton not happy with Leclerc’s turn 4 move

The seven-time world champion also brought up Leclerc’s previous battles with former Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz, suggesting that the Monegasque had a history of getting involved in unnecessary fights that compromised the team’s results.

“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,” he added.

Hamilton and Leclerc clashed in Monza and Mexico

Hamilton then pointed to his own approach during their battle at Silverstone, insisting he could have been more aggressive but chose not to compromise Ferrari’s result.

“At Silverstone, I could have gone all kamikaze on him and taken him off and lost us 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.”

Hamilton’s comments suggest that the relationship between Ferrari’s two drivers could become an interesting storyline as the team looks to strengthen its position.

With Hamilton fighting for wins again this season, Leclerc has been second best for most of the campaign.