Lewis Hamilton says he remains frustrated after Ferrari clash in Mexico

Lewis Hamilton said in Sao Paulo on Thursday, November 5, that he remains frustrated with Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc over their opening-lap clash at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Hamilton said Ferrari needs further conversations about the incident and that he would not apologise for speaking candidly, according to Reuters.

“I'm never going to apologise for being authentic and real,” Hamilton told reporters. “I'm not going to be silenced.” He said that he and Leclerc had not yet had an in-depth conversation about the incident. Leclerc was expected in Brazil on Friday and was set to miss first practice after the birth of his daughter earlier in the week, Reuters reported.

How the Mexico City clash affected Ferrari

Hamilton said the team could have finished first and second and that Ferrari should work to ensure the incident does not happen again. That is his assessment of the lost opportunity; the reports do not independently establish how responsibility for the clash was shared.

Hamilton calls for further Ferrari discussions

Asked whether Leclerc raced him harder than other rivals, Hamilton agreed. The AP reported that he also compared Leclerc’s place in Ferrari with earlier teammate pairings involving Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz, and said he had worked to build a good relationship with Leclerc while pushing for changes at the team.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur had publicly criticised both drivers over the Mexico incident, according to the AP. The report also described an earlier Singapore Grand Prix strategy disagreement involving the teammates. Hamilton said further conversations would take place when the time allowed; their outcome was not yet known.