Hamilton Says Leclerc Battle ‘Lost Us the Win’ in Mexico, Wants ‘Serious Talks’

Lewis Hamilton said his first-lap battle with Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc "lost us the win" at the F1 Mexico GP, where he finished second after taking his first pole for Ferrari.

It capped a wild weekend in Mexico that included mid-weekend driver swaps, drivers falling ill and the crowning of the youngest champion in the history of the sport. After the clash with his teammate and a red flag, Hamilton couldn't catch Max Verstappen and had plenty on his mind.

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Madness in Mexico

Hamilton led from pole into Turn 1, with Leclerc attacking through the opening corners. At Turn 4, the Ferrari pair both ran off track. Leclerc came out in front, and Verstappen got past Hamilton into second.

Hamilton's frustration was immediate. "Got pushed out by my own teammate," he told the Ferrari pit wall over the radio. Leclerc stayed in the lead, with Verstappen close behind.

Emotions and Tensions Rising

Leclerc was handed a 5-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage. Stuck in third before the first pit stops, Hamilton radioed his engineer: "The stewards are basically handing Charles this win." He followed up with: "We agreed, in the drivers' briefing." Leclerc served the penalty at his pit stop, losing the lead to eventual winner Verstappen.

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Later in the race, Valtteri Bottas' Cadillac suffered a front suspension failure at Turn 1 and hit the barriers, which brought out the safety car and then the red flag. During the stoppage, Hamilton had another message for the pit wall. "We've got big problems," he said. "Big, big problems," the BBC reported.

A Disappointing Finish

After the restart, Hamilton was stuck in second behind Verstappen and couldn't quite catch him. From his first pole with Ferrari, he had to settle for silver.

After the race, Hamilton congratulated the new world champion, acknowledged the crowd in Mexico and said the team had the pace to win, but "it wasn't meant to be."

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Asked whether Leclerc should have given the position back, Hamilton pointed to what the drivers had been told. "I mean, in drivers' briefing we discussed as soon as you go off in Turn 1, you have to give the position back, obviously. Last year I got a 10-second penalty for that same move that he did," he said. "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."

The title fight is over, but Hamilton can still take second in the championship. He's on 259 points, two behind Verstappen, and the next race is in Brazil, one of his favorites.