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Lewis Hamilton Pushes Ferrari For Serious Talks Ahead Of Sao Paulo Grand Prix
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Hamilton demands face-to-face talks with Leclerc at Sao Paulo after Mexico clash. Ferrari held a meeting with Hamilton and Leclerc to address tensions ahead of Brazil.
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Mexico clash, Brazil talks
Lewis Hamilton said Ferrari needed “serious talks” after the Mexico City Grand Prix clash with Charles Leclerc, and he pushed for face-to-face discussions ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Hamilton told reporters ahead of the Sao Paulo weekend that “we should have easily had a 1-2 last race and so we’ve got to work to make sure that [it] never happens again,” after Leclerc was handed a penalty for cutting the track and Max Verstappen won. Frédéric Vasseur confirmed that he met with Hamilton and Leclerc to “air the dirty laundry and smooth over rough spots” after the first-lap clash at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
Vasseur said the meeting “was good to discuss, clarify my stance and theirs,” and he added that Ferrari would now “turn the page” as the Sao Paulo GP approached. The BBC framed the weekend as the next chapter of the championship battle, with Kimi Antonelli described as the new world champion and Ferrari seeking the three points more than Ferrari need to lock away the constructors’ championship.
Hamilton refuses to back down
Hamilton refused to back down on his criticism of Leclerc, and he said, “I wear my heart on my sleeve and I say how I feel in the moment.” Hamilton also insisted, “I’m never going to apologise for being authentic and real and I’m not going to be silenced,” as he pointed to what he described as Leclerc racing him harder than other rivals. Vasseur warned that Ferrari’s internal aggression must not override the collective effort, saying, “they must respect each other and, above all and before all, they must respect the brand, the team and the people who work at the factory and on the track.”
The Guardian reported that Leclerc did not take part in media commitments on Thursday in São Paulo because he was attending the birth of his first child, while Hamilton maintained that the pair had yet to speak to Fred Vasseur. Hamilton told the BBC that the tension was tied to the way Leclerc and his teammates handle racing moments, and he contrasted Mexico with Singapore by saying, “We could have easily had a one-two and so we definitely have to work towards making sure that doesn't happen again.”
What is at stake in Sao Paulo
Hamilton said the team’s focus now had to be on building rules of engagement for next year, and he argued, “I don’t think everything is going to get squashed and sorted out in one meeting but it is important.” The BBC said Ferrari’s main target in Sao Paulo was securing the three points more than Ferrari need to lock away the constructors’ championship, while Mercedes’ rivals continued work after a season split into two parts. The New York Times reported that Verstappen won the Mexico City GP after Hamilton finished second and Leclerc finished fourth, with Leclerc later penalized with a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
Vasseur’s post-race framing in Mexico emphasized respect, and he said, “They are not working for themselves,” adding that the drivers were “working for a group.” The Guardian added a specific title scenario for Mercedes, saying Mercedes can clinch the constructors’ title in Brazil if they outscore Ferrari by three points, as the Sao Paulo GP returned from November 6 to 8 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace.