Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has heavily criticised Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc over their clash in the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Hamilton, one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, started on pole, with Leclerc third behind George Russell, but as the Mercedes driver dropped back, Leclerc challenged his teammate through the first three turns.
Hamilton held him off, but at the chicane between turn four and five, Leclerc dived around the outside before taking to the grass, cutting the corner and racing into the lead in the process.
Max Verstappen and Hamilton both got on the radio to say Leclerc had to give the position back, but he instead stayed in the lead and was awarded a five-second penalty.
The standard punishment is 10 seconds, but the stewards took into account as mitigation that Hamilton had also gone off the track.
What Hamilton & Leclerc Said After Mexico GP
Hamilton’s argument was that Leclerc cost him and the team a victory – had they worked together on the first lap, they could have ended it one-two and would probably have run that way to the end given the difficulty of overtaking.
Hamilton expressed his dismay following the race, claiming the incident ‘lost them the race’ and that they need to have ‘some serious talks behind closed doors.’
Leclerc fired back at Hamilton’s comments, stating: “I could also be unhappy with how much he pushed me off the track out of turn one, but it is racing. When you are fighting for a win it is the way it should be.”
Tensions were not just running high between the two racers, but also with boss Fred Vasseur, who came out and criticised both Hamilton and Leclerc in an interview with Canal+ following the race.
Fred Vasseur Slams Both Drivers After Mexico GP
“I’m struggling to swallow it because, honestly, I think it’s a lack of respect, a lack of respect for the brand, a lack of respect for all the people working here, and for the efforts we’re putting in,” the Frenchman claimed.
“We’ve taken a real step forward in terms of performance, and I think throwing away a win like that is tough.”
When asked if his criticism was specifically directed at Leclerc, Vasseur denied that and said he wanted to speak with both drivers.
“No, no, I didn’t target anyone; I want to talk with them,” he said.
“Lewis was running very wide too, but look, I think we also need to keep in mind that we represent a brand, we represent sponsors, we’ve got 2,000 people working behind us who aren’t just racing for the sake of racing; they’re racing for the whole team.”
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