Overview
- An opening-lap collision between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the Mexico City Grand Prix handed Max Verstappen a path to victory after stewards issued a penalty to Leclerc.
- Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur held a private meeting with Hamilton and Leclerc, said the pair had "squashed it," and confirmed the team will keep its current guideline that drivers must respect each other.
- Verstappen told Viaplay he would never run two No.1 drivers, arguing a single lead driver plus a competent No.2 protects team results and reduces on-track risk.
- Former team figures including Ralf Schumacher and Guenther Steiner publicly questioned Hamilton’s leadership style and suggested different driver-leader models could change how teams manage star pairings.
- No structural change has been announced at Ferrari and Verstappen’s long-term Red Bull contract through 2030 curbs immediate transfer talk, but the episode has renewed pressure on team strategy and could influence how top teams set driver hierarchies before the season ends.