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'We've got big problems' - Hamilton says Ferrari need 'serious talks'

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Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari need "some serious talks behind closed doors" after fighting between their two drivers in Mexico.

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This story was published by BBC Sport on November 2, 2026 and curated on Africa Front.

November 2, 2026

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'We've got big problems' - Hamilton says Ferrari need 'serious talks'

Published1 November 2026

Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari "have to have some serious talks behind closed doors" after fighting between their two drivers cost them victory in the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Leclerc cut a chicane on the first lap to take the lead from Hamilton, who then lost second place to Max Verstappen as a consequence of his team-mate's attack.

Verstappen went on to win the race with Hamilton second, as Kimi Antonelli finished third to become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history.

"Ultimately, that lost us the win today," said Hamilton. "We have to have some serious talks behind closed doors."

During a red-flag period in the race caused by a crash for Valtteri Bottas' Cadillac, Hamilton had said over team radio: "We've got big problems. Big, big problems."

When informed Hamilton was unhappy, Leclerc said: "I will speak with Lewis. We both didn't make the corner. I don't know if Lewis' point was for me to get P3 but having the Red Bull second I felt it was worth it to keep the position and see what happened. That's what I did.

"I could be also unhappy with how much he pushed me off track out of Turn One, but it is racing. When you are fighting for a win it is the way it should be."

Hamilton's point is that if the Ferraris had worked together on the first lap, they would have been running one-two and could have controlled the race from there and likely finished in those positions.

He said: "We could have easily had a one-two today. We had the pace to do so.

"We're going into Turn Four first and second. If we just held position, I think anything can happen in the race. But when your team-mate works against you and then you lose positions like that, it's definitely tough.

"So we'll just talk about it offline and it's not really worth saying too much more. We don't have rules of engagement. And whether or not that would change anything from Charles' side, I don't know. We've just got to figure out. But something needs to change for sure."

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'It will continue unless action is taken'

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur said he was "frustrated" at the way the incident played out.

"It's a lot of frustration for me but I'm not the most important," he said. "It's a lot of frustration for the 2,000 people working for the project. And this I will need time to digest."

The Frenchman added: "We'll discuss tonight, we'll fix it tomorrow and then we'll be focused on the cycle."

Hamilton added: "Fred's doing his best. Fred came and spoke to me before the race and I think he was nervous and I think he just wanted us, of course, he wants these two drivers to do well.

"From my side, if I'm coming from behind and I'm taking all the risk and it ends up we lose as a team, then I think I'd have some answering to do, because it impacts a lot of people.

"But the other way around, I'm in the lead and it was just unnecessary.

"The core thing to remember, which maybe that comes with age, but every decision you make in the car impacts all the people that work in the background for the whole team.

"So working as a team, part of our job and part of our contract is we have to work as a team, which we could have easily done today. So it's a shame to see us lose as we did. It will continue unless action is taken."

On Leclerc, Hamilton said: "The guy's 28 years old, so I don't think it's an age thing. I think it's a mentality thing. It's like do or die, either I win or none of us do, and it shouldn't be that."

The incident was the latest and arguably most serious of a series of tensions between Hamilton and Leclerc this season.

It follows Leclerc pushing Hamilton off track at the first corner of the Italian Grand Prix.

The race before that, Leclerc ignored a team order to let Hamilton by when they were on different strategies.

In Singapore last month, there was another incident when Hamilton felt he should have been let by when they were on different tyres, but Ferrari refused to make the call.

Verstappen, who capitalised on this latest battle in Mexico, said: "Ferrari were really fast, I do think they made it a little bit difficult for themselves fighting each other and that's why I was able to capitalise on that. I mean, I take it, right?"