New Delhi, Nov 2 (IANS) Lewis Hamilton has called for serious internal discussions at Ferrari after a first-lap battle with teammate Charles Leclerc potentially cost the team victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday.
The seven-time world champion, who finished second behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, believes Ferrari had the pace to secure a one-two finish but lost its opportunity following the opening-lap incident.
Hamilton, who started from his maiden Grand Prix pole position for Ferrari, held his advantage initially before Leclerc challenged him around the outside. The pair went off track while battling through the opening corners, with Leclerc taking the lead after cutting across the grass. The Monegasque driver received a five-second penalty, while Hamilton lost momentum and dropped behind Verstappen.
Reflecting on the incident, Hamilton questioned the handling of the situation and insisted that the battle had cost Ferrari a chance to win.
“I don’t really have anything to say about the scenario with Charles. I think you can see what happened and the reason we lost the win. In the drivers’ briefing, we discussed that as soon as you go off at Turn 1, you have to give the position back, or else… Last year I got a 10-second penalty for that same move that he did. Ultimately, it was that that lost us the win today. And I, yeah, I think we have to have some serious talks behind the scenes for sure,” Hamilton said, as quoted by F1.
Leclerc eventually lost the lead after serving his penalty during a pit stop, while Hamilton moved ahead of his teammate following a mid-race restart triggered by a red flag. The Briton challenged Verstappen until the finish but had to settle for second place.
Hamilton stressed that Ferrari’s collective interests must take precedence over individual battles, warning that similar incidents could continue to hurt the team unless the matter is addressed.
“I think the core thing to remember, which maybe comes with age, is that every decision you make in the car impacts all the people that work in the background for the whole team,” he said.
“So, working as a team is a part of our job and a part of our contract. We have to work as a team, which we could have easily done. So, it’s a shame to see us lose this, as we did. That will just continue unless action is taken… So, it shouldn’t happen moving forward. Of course, I’ve had close battles with team mates in the past, and you can’t always get it right, but nine times out of ten we should be able to.
“So, I think we’ll take it offline, and we’ll have some good conversations, hopefully. For sure, it won’t be easy, but it must be done,” he added.
Hamilton and Leclerc have had several close encounters this season, including a fierce battle in China and an incident at the Italian Grand Prix, after which Leclerc apologised for pushing his teammate off track.
The latest flashpoint has left Hamilton demanding a resolution as Ferrari looks to prevent internal rivalry from undermining its results in the remaining races of the season.
–IANS
vi/bc
