Hamilton refuses to apologize for calling out Leclerc's aggressive racing.

Lewis Hamilton has refused to back down from his criticism of Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, insisting the Monegasque driver races him harder than any other rival on the Formula 1 grid.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's São Paulo Grand Prix, Hamilton doubled down on comments he made after last Sunday's Mexico City Grand Prix, where the two Ferrari drivers clashed on the opening lap.

The incident at Turn 4 cost Ferrari a likely victory — and potentially a one-two finish — with Red Bull's Max Verstappen ultimately taking the win.

Hamilton said after the race that the team had 'big, big problems' and squarely blamed Leclerc for the outcome.

'The guy is 29 years old, so I don't think it's an age thing,' Hamilton said in Mexico.

'I think it's a mentality thing.

It's like "do or die. Either I win or none of us do."'

Now, ahead of the São Paulo Grand Prix, Hamilton has made it clear he stands by every word.

'I don't really care what everyone thinks about what I said,' Hamilton told reporters on Thursday.

'I wear my heart on my sleeve and I say how I feel in the moment.'

'Of course there's times you say things and maybe you might regret it afterwards. I don't.'

'I'm never going to apologise for being authentic and real and I'm not going to be silenced.'

'I have not been asked to not say anything and that's just the way it is.'

The tension between Ferrari's two drivers has been building all season.

Hamilton joined the Scuderia in 2025 after leaving Mercedes, where he won six of his seven world championships.

Leclerc has been with Ferrari since 2019 and is deeply embedded in the team's culture.

Their relationship was largely friendly during Hamilton's first year at Maranello, but 2026 has seen multiple flashpoints on track.

The Mexico incident was the third time this season the pair have found themselves at odds during a race.

In September, at Ferrari's home race in Monza, Hamilton was forced onto the gravel at the first chicane as the two cars went side by side.

Leclerc apologized for that incident afterward.

Then in Singapore, Leclerc went wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen for the lead at Turn 1 — a move Hamilton now says was different from how Leclerc races him.

Asked directly whether he believes Leclerc races him harder than other drivers, Hamilton replied: 'Yes.'

'I see what you see,' Hamilton said.

'Singapore, he was fully [alongside], wheel to wheel, fully on the inside for the lead at Turn 1 Singapore, and I think it was definitely different.'

'But, I mean, if you look at the team-mates, it was the same with Sebastian [Vettel], it was the same with Carlos [Sainz].'

Hamilton's reference to Vettel and Sainz — both former Ferrari drivers who raced alongside Leclerc — suggests he sees a pattern in how Leclerc approaches intra-team battles.

Ferrari does not have formal team orders or rules of engagement between its drivers, a policy that has come under scrutiny after the Mexico clash.

Hamilton said after the race that the team needed 'serious talks' to discuss how to handle such situations going forward.

Team principal Fred Vasseur has since weighed in, reportedly saying the incident showed a 'lack of respect' for Ferrari and its workforce.

Hamilton and Leclerc are expected to sit down with Vasseur to address the issue.

'We will have a sit down,' Hamilton confirmed.

Leclerc did not participate in media commitments on Thursday in São Paulo, as he was attending the birth of his first child.