Lewis Hamilton has called for a meeting with Charles Leclerc and the Ferrari team during the upcoming São Paulo Grand Prix weekend in Brazil. This demand follows an on-track incident between the two drivers at the Mexico City Grand Prix last weekend, which Hamilton believes cost the team a potential one-two finish.
The clash occurred on the opening lap of the race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Hamilton, who started from pole position, and Leclerc, starting third, made contact while battling for position.
Leclerc attempted to overtake Hamilton on the outside into Turn 4. Both Ferrari drivers ran wide, allowing Max Verstappen to move into second place.
Leclerc subsequently received a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage. This penalty was reduced from a standard ten seconds due to Hamilton also running wide during the incident.
Verstappen ultimately won the Mexico City Grand Prix, with Hamilton finishing second and Leclerc in fourth. Kimi Antonelli secured the 2026 Drivers’ World Championship in the same race.
Hamilton expressed his ongoing frustration with the situation, stating that the team needs to establish clear rules of engagement for how they race each other. He indicated that this incident was the third significant flashpoint between the Ferrari drivers this season, following previous tensions at the Dutch and Italian Grands Prix.
Leclerc acknowledged that the five-second penalty was ‘deserved in a way.’ However, he also attributed some blame to the circuit design, suggesting that a different track layout might have prevented such an aggressive maneuver.
Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur has previously resisted implementing strict written team orders, preferring to rely on shared principles and post-race debriefs. Reports suggest a clause in Leclerc’s contract guarantees him equal technical and sporting treatment, which could influence the team’s approach to formal rules.
Hamilton stated that he believes Leclerc races him harder than other competitors. He emphasized the importance of addressing these issues to ensure the team’s performance is not compromised in future seasons.
The seven-time World Champion joined Ferrari in 2025, while Leclerc signed a multi-year contract extension with the Scuderia in June 2026, securing his position with the team through at least 2028.
Leclerc was absent from media commitments on Thursday in São Paulo due to the birth of his first child, meaning direct discussions between the drivers and Team Principal Vasseur had not yet taken place as of Friday, November 6, 2026.
The 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix at the Interlagos Circuit is the twentieth round of the Formula 1 season, scheduled to run from November 6-8, 2026.
I don’t think everything is going to get squashed and sorted out in one meeting but it is important. What we build now will put us in the right position for next year. In some ways, I’m glad we had that experience. Of course, I’d rather we won and had a 1-2, but from that you can learn and we can only really get stronger.
