Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has accused Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc of “a lack of respect” for the team after the teammates clashed on the opening lap of the Mexico City Grand Prix and ultimately cost themselves victory.
Hamilton was starting on pole for the first time in his Ferrari career and defended well at the start of the race before the Leclerc surged alongside him going into turn four-five of the opening lap.
Leclerc failed to make the corner but still took the lead, while Hamilton was also passed by Max Verstappen as he attempted to stay on the circuit. Leclerc was handed a five-second penalty for his actions – ultimately helping hand the win to Verstappen on a day where Italian Kimi Antonelli sealed the title to become the youngest F1 champion in history for Mercedes.
Leclerc finished fourth after losing out when the race restarted following a red flag later in the session, while Hamilton crossed the line in second and was not happy afterwards – suggesting there needs to be “serious talks” in the Ferrari garage.
Another man who was furious at the incident was Vasseur and the team principal didn’t hold back in his own post-match interviews.
“I’m struggling to swallow it because, honestly, I think it’s a lack of respect, a lack of respect for the brand, a lack of respect for all the people working here and for the efforts we’re putting in,” Vasseur told Canal+.
“We’ve taken a real step forward in terms of performance, and I think throwing away a win like that is tough. Wasting a victory is hard.
“We were in first and second place going into the first corner; I can’t recall a manoeuvre in the Mexican Grand Prix that was worth that much. The fact is, we’ve now finished in second and fourth place.”
Vasseur was then asked whether he was calling out Leclerc, who received a five-second penalty for his move, directly but the Frenchman insisted he wanted to speak to both drivers.
“No, no, I haven’t singled anyone out,” added Vasseur. “I want to talk to them. I think Lewis also went wide, but I believe we also need to keep in mind that we represent a brand, we represent sponsors, and we have 2,000 people working behind us. They’re not racing just for themselves, they’re racing for all those people. I’m really angry.
“We’ll sit down tonight or tomorrow morning to discuss it and clarify everything, and then we’ll immediately turn our attention to Sao Paulo. I think having another race next week is the best thing that could happen to us.”
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