News Summary
- Lewis Hamilton believes Charles Leclerc’s opening-lap manoeuvre cost him victory at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, despite finishing just 0.799s behind winner Max Verstappen.
- The Ferrari driver questioned the FIA’s five-second penalty, arguing that he received ten seconds for a similar incident in 2025 and that Leclerc should have returned the position.
- Hamilton also congratulated Andrea Kimi Antonelli on becoming Formula 1’s youngest world champion, describing the achievement as extraordinary.
Lewis Hamilton has called for serious discussions behind the scenes at Ferrari after claiming that his opening-lap battle with Charles Leclerc cost him victory at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion finished second, just 0.799s behind Max Verstappen, but insisted that the Ferrari had the pace to win and questioned why his teammate was allowed to retain his position after leaving the track.
“Tough day. I think we had the pace to win today, but it wasn’t meant to be, and we’ll take it offline and figure out what we can do in the background,” Hamilton said after Sunday’s (November 1) race.
Hamilton questions FIA penalty and calls for serious talks
Hamilton started from pole position but immediately came under pressure from Leclerc during the opening sequence of corners.
The Monegasque attempted to overtake his teammate before running off the circuit at Turn 4 and gaining an advantage.
Hamilton complained over the radio that Leclerc had pushed him off the track, while Verstappen also argued that the Ferrari driver should return the position.
The FIA eventually imposed a five-second penalty on Leclerc, rather than ordering him to give back the place.
Hamilton believes the decision contradicted the instructions discussed before the race.
“In the drivers’ briefing, we discussed as soon as you go off in Turn 1, you have to give the position back,” he explained.
“Last year I got a 10-second penalty for that same move that he did.”
The stewards subsequently explained that Leclerc had gained an advantage by leaving the circuit but reduced the standard ten-second sanction because Hamilton had also gone off track during the incident.
However, the seven-time champion maintained that the consequences were decisive.
“But ultimately, it was that that lost us the win today. I think we have to have some serious talks behind the scenes, for sure,” Hamilton said.
His remarks follow another radio complaint during the race, when he accused the stewards of effectively handing Leclerc the victory.
Hamilton praises Ferrari progress despite missing victory
Despite his disappointment, Hamilton acknowledged Ferrari’s improvement during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend.
The British driver secured his first pole position for the Italian team on Saturday, ending a 1,197-day wait dating back to Hungary 2023.
He then finished second after a close battle with Verstappen in the closing laps.
“The good thing is the team are working really hard. We’ve really improved our car,” Hamilton said.
He also revealed that Ferrari had competed with an older power unit specification during the weekend.
“We were on the old engine this weekend as well,” he added.
“Good results, good points. Shame we didn’t get a win, but some you win, some you lose.”
The result moved Hamilton to third in the Drivers’ Championship with 259 points, just two behind Verstappen.
Hamilton congratulates Antonelli on historic F1 title
Hamilton also paid tribute to Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who secured his first Formula 1 world championship by finishing third in Mexico.
The Mercedes driver became the youngest champion in the sport’s history at 20, surpassing Sebastian Vettel’s previous record.
Hamilton, who won six of his seven championships with Mercedes, congratulated his former team and its new champion.
“A huge congratulations to Kimi and the Mercedes team. It’s great to see them all up here celebrating their success,” he said.
“Youngest world champion ever, it’s pretty phenomenal, and I’m so grateful to be in the race to witness it.”
The British driver also acknowledged the Mexican spectators.
“Firstly, look at this crowd. We have to acknowledge them.”
Antonelli’s championship victory and the updated standings leave Hamilton fighting Verstappen and George Russell for second place over the remaining races.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend, with breaking news, full coverage and real-time updates in its Formula 1 section.
