Vasseur Demands Team First After Hamilton–Leclerc Mexico Clash

Overview

• Hamilton and Leclerc fought wheel-to-wheel at the start of the Mexican Grand Prix, both ran off track and Leclerc was penalised, a sequence that allowed Max Verstappen to win and left Ferrari without a likely one-two finish.
• Lewis Hamilton publicly questioned the penalty against Leclerc and called for serious talks, saying he felt Leclerc had raced him harder than other rivals.
• Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur summoned both drivers to a private meeting in São Paulo on Thursday and told them that 'Ferrari comes first' while calling the Mexico result a collective failure.
• Vasseur said he will not change the team's existing on-track guidelines and emphasised respect for the brand, staff and tifosi rather than issuing new written rules or explicit team orders.
• Charles Leclerc said the dispute has been settled after the talks, but sources note season-long friction and public scrutiny leave the team under pressure to restore unity and consistent race results.