MEXICO CITY – Lewis Hamilton was left questioning the mentality of teammate Charles Leclerc and calling for ‘modifications’ at Ferrari after a first-lap conflict on the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix between the pair.
Hamilton was instantly below assault from Leclerc at lights-out, with the Brit needing to defend going into Flip 1, with the Monegasque dispatching the slow-starting George Russell.
An in depth encounter within the first part led to the pair each going off-track at Turns 4 and 5, with Leclerc slicing throughout the grass and taking the lead.
Hamilton misplaced second place to Max Verstappen, and instantly advised his group that he had been “put out by my very own teammate.”
Leclerc was handed a five-second penalty for the incident, however might have gone on to win, had it not been for a crimson flag, triggered by Valtteri Bottas’ big crash at Flip 1.
Throughout that interval, a visibly and audibly irritated Hamilton took to radio once more, telling the group there have been “large issues.”
Verstappen inherited the lead prior tbe crimson flag, as Leclerc pitted with a mixed taking of his penalty, leaving the Dutchman the web chief of the race.
Leclerc flat-spotted a tyre on the restart, dropping him furtherdown the order, ending fourth, with Verstappen holding off Hamilton on the flag, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli third to take the World Championship.
For Hamilton, the race had been ruined, and insinuated Leclerc had ‘labored towards’ him, somewhat than work with him for the good thing about the group.
“I don’t know what must occur now,” he advised media, together with Motorsport Week. “How we focus on issues once we return I’m not fairly positive how I wish to have interaction in that course of discussions in the present day.
“I’m blissful as a result of this man [Antonelli] simply received the championship so I’m actually torn. As a result of on one aspect I’m blissful, and on the opposite aspect I’m actually pissed.
“We misplaced beneficial factors, and we, as a group, labored so exhausting. We might have simply had a one-two in the present day. Actually, we had the tempo to take action.
“We’re going into Flip 4 first and second. If we simply maintain place, I feel something can occur within the race. However when your teammate works towards you and you then lose positions like that, it’s positively robust.
“So, we’ll simply discuss it offline, and it’s not likely value saying an excessive amount of extra.
“We don’t have guidelines of engagement, and whether or not or not that may change something from Charles’ aspect, I don’t know.
“We’ve simply obtained to determine it out, however one thing wants to alter for positive.”
Lewis Hamilton slams ‘do or die’ angle from Charles Leclerc
When requested whether or not he felt a distinct strategy must be taken when battling for a race-winning place, somewhat than a lesser factors place, Hamilton questioned what he described as Leclerc’s obvious “do or die” angle.
“I imply, earlier than I joined this group, once I was at Mercedes, I watched and witnessed the back-and-forth between Charles and Carlos [Sainz] [in] a number of races, the place they had been battling a lot that the particular person forward simply pulled away, and so they had the tempo to truly win,” he mentioned.
“However it’s one factor when that’s occurring in fourth and fifth, versus first and second, and also you lose the win. That’s vital.
“The man [Leclerc] is 28 years outdated, so I don’t suppose it’s an age factor. I feel it’s a mentality factor. It’s like, ‘do or die. Both I win or none of us do,’ and it shouldn’t be that. It must be us having, getting that one-two. As I mentioned, it’s nonetheless a superb feeling.
“, Silverstone, I might have gone all kamikaze on him and brought him off and misplaced us the win, however as an alternative the one-two was there [sic. 1-3].
“For me, I’m blissful for the group to have skilled that, however I’m hopeful we’ll work in direction of a greater place, a greater working place, sooner or later.”
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