Passions in F1: why tensions are escalating between Ferrari's drivers

Tensions between the drivers at Ferrari are escalating — Lewis Hamilton refused to back down from his criticism of his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc following the incident between them at last weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix, reports UNN, citing The Guardian.

Context

Last Sunday in Mexico, on the first lap of the race, Leclerc and Hamilton were battling through Turn 4 when Leclerc attempted to overtake his teammate. During the maneuver, he went off the track, while Hamilton’s defense left him vulnerable to an overtake by Max Verstappen. Verstappen subsequently took the victory, meaning Ferrari lost its chance to secure the top two places.

Ferrari has no official rules governing interaction between its drivers. Hamilton then said that the team had "very, very serious problems" and later directly accused his teammate of costing them a chance to win. "The guy is 29, so it’s not about age. It’s about mentality. It’s a win-or-nothing approach: either I win, or nobody does," he said.

Ahead of this weekend’s São Paulo Grand Prix, Hamilton stressed that he was not going to retract his words. "I don’t care what other people think about my words; I’m always candid and say what I feel in a particular moment," he said. "Of course, there are times when you say something you might later regret. But I don’t."

"I will never apologize for remaining genuine and sincere, and I will not allow myself to be silenced. ​​No one has asked me to refrain from commenting — the situation simply is what it is." Leclerc did not take part in media events in São Paulo on Thursday because he was present for the birth of his first child. He has therefore yet to respond to Hamilton, who said Ferrari needed to resolve the issue, adding that neither of them had yet discussed the situation with team principal Fred Vasseur.

In addition

Leclerc has raced for the "Scuderia" since 2019, while Hamilton joined the team in 2025; they developed a good working relationship last year. However, in the current season, with the Briton showing better form, the incident in Mexico was already the third occasion on which disagreements arose between them on the track.

The seven-time champion made it clear that he was not going to back down — either on or off the track. "He is deeply integrated into the team, and I knew this would always be a difficult challenge — I have always approached it with respect," he said. "I have put a lot of effort into building a good relationship with Charles, establishing mutual understanding and ensuring that we work together harmoniously.

Of course, it is not particularly easy for the team to accept someone like me, because I speak my mind openly and constantly push for change — and I will continue to do so as long as I remain here. That is how it will be. I am here to win, and to win you need to work with everyone around you. I genuinely believe that next year this team will be able to fight for the championship title."

Last weekend, the Mercedes team secured the drivers’ championship (together with Kimi Antonelli), and in Brazil it could also clinch the constructors’ championship — to do so, it needs to score three more points than Ferrari.