Lewis Hamilton ‘Still Frustrated’ After Mexico Clash With Charles Leclerc as Ferrari Heads to Sao Paulo

Lewis Hamilton says he is “still frustrated” after his opening-lap clash with Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc at the Mexico City Grand Prix, and the seven-time world champion has made clear he will not be silenced about it. Speaking in Sao Paulo on Thursday, five days after the incident cost Ferrari a likely one-two finish, Hamilton said the two drivers had yet to hold a proper conversation about what happened.

The fallout has followed Formula 1 to Interlagos, where the Sao Paulo Grand Prix takes place on Sunday 8 November 2026 — a race that will also be Hamilton’s 400th Grand Prix. Leclerc, meanwhile, was due to arrive in Brazil on Friday after spending the week with his family in Monaco following the birth of his first child, a daughter, earlier in the week.

What happened on lap one in Mexico City

Hamilton started the race from pole position, with Leclerc third on the grid. Leclerc gained a place when George Russell lost momentum into Turn 1, then attacked his teammate around the outside at Turn 4. Space disappeared, Leclerc carried too much speed into the corner and cut across the grass to take the lead.

Hamilton also left the track in the exchange but rejoined in the correct manner, and in doing so dropped behind Verstappen. The Red Bull driver went on to win the race, while Leclerc — who was not ordered to give the position back — kept the lead until his pit stop, building an advantage of more than eight seconds over Hamilton before the stops. Hamilton finished second, 0.799 seconds behind Verstappen, and Leclerc came home fourth.

Why the five-second penalty still rankles Hamilton

The stewards gave Leclerc a five-second penalty for the incident, rather than the standard ten seconds, because Hamilton had also gone off the track. Hamilton criticised that decision over team radio and again afterwards, arguing that the lighter penalty handed his teammate clean air while he had to manage his tyres in dirty air behind Verstappen.

Data from the opening laps supported his complaint. Hamilton was faster than Leclerc on only three of the first 26 laps before the pit stops, and by the time of the first stops Leclerc had pulled far enough ahead to serve his five seconds and still emerge in front of his teammate. Hamilton was told of the penalty by race engineer Carlo Santi and replied that the problem was Leclerc had “got clean air” and did not have to manage his tyres like the rest.

A father, a flight home and a conversation that has not happened

The two Ferrari drivers have still not spoken properly about the incident. “We haven’t spoken,” Hamilton, 41, said at the press conference in Sao Paulo on Thursday. “I was frustrated and I’m still frustrated.” He added that the pair and the rest of the team needed to talk about recent racing incidents, and that Ferrari should reconsider how its drivers race each other.

Team principal Fred Vasseur publicly criticised both of his drivers after the race, and returned to Italy between the two Grands Prix. Leclerc, who became a father earlier in the week, spent the time with his family in Monaco and was due to arrive in Brazil on Friday, missing first practice. Hamilton said it was difficult when a teammate “works against you”, and that he would “never be silenced” and would not apologise for speaking his mind.

The title is settled — the fight for second is not

The championship picture has changed since Mexico. Antonelli’s third place was enough to seal the 2026 drivers’ title with four races still to run, making the 20-year-old Italian the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history. Verstappen’s win moved him to second in the standings on 261 points, just two ahead of Hamilton on 259, with George Russell on 250 and Leclerc fifth on 245.

Mercedes lead the constructors’ championship on 630 points to Ferrari’s 504, so Ferrari still have plenty to fight for over the final four rounds. Hamilton’s first season with the team has produced one win so far, and the Mexico result showed the car had the pace to win — which is precisely why losing the one-two stings. For the latest standings, see the Sky Sports Formula 1 championship standings.

What happens next at Interlagos

The Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend runs from 6 to 8 November 2026, with the race on Sunday. It will be Hamilton’s 400th Grand Prix, a milestone few drivers have ever reached, and it comes at a circuit where he has enjoyed some of the finest drives of his career.

Ferrari’s priority this weekend is a clean race between its two drivers. Hamilton has said the team must work to make sure a repeat of Mexico does not happen, and that a one-two was there for the taking. Whether the two drivers can put the incident behind them on track — after a week in which they have barely spoken — will be one of the main stories of the weekend. Recent results elsewhere in sport, including Manchester United’s 3-2 Champions League comeback against Roma, show how quickly a team can turn a setback around, and Ferrari will hope to do the same. Harry Kane’s contract extension at Bayern Munich was another reminder this week that the biggest names in sport are planning long-term — Hamilton, at 41, is still chasing wins in his first Ferrari season.

Frequently asked questions

What happened between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in Mexico?
On the opening lap of the Mexico City Grand Prix on 1 November 2026, Leclerc attacked Hamilton around the outside at Turn 4, cut the corner and took the lead. Hamilton dropped behind Max Verstappen, who went on to win. Leclerc received a five-second penalty and finished fourth, with Hamilton second.

Why was Leclerc only given a five-second penalty?
The stewards cited mitigating factors: Hamilton also left the track during the incident. The standard penalty for gaining an advantage off track is usually ten seconds, which is why Hamilton questioned the decision.

Have Hamilton and Leclerc spoken about the incident?
Not properly. Hamilton said on Thursday 5 November that “we haven’t spoken” and that he was “still frustrated”. Leclerc spent the week in Monaco after the birth of his daughter and was due to arrive in Brazil on Friday.

Who won the 2026 Formula 1 championship?
Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes. His third place in Mexico took him to 380 points with four races remaining, making him the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history at 20 years and 68 days.

When is the next race and why is it special for Hamilton?
The Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos takes place on Sunday 8 November 2026. It will be Lewis Hamilton’s 400th Grand Prix.

Did the Mexico clash cost Ferrari a one-two finish?
Hamilton believes so, and the evidence supports him: he started on pole, the Ferrari had the pace to win, and the team left Mexico with second and fourth instead of first and second. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur publicly criticised both drivers after the race.

What the Mexico fallout does not mean

It does not mean Ferrari have given up on the season. The constructors’ fight is still open, Mercedes lead Ferrari by 126 points with four races left, and the battle for second in the drivers’ standings is separated by just two points between Verstappen and Hamilton. It also does not mean Leclerc escaped punishment — he served a five-second penalty and lost the win he had briefly held. And it does not mean the relationship between the two drivers is broken; Hamilton has said the team needs to talk, not that he wants out. The real test comes on Sunday at Interlagos.