Hamilton refuses to stay silent on Leclerc feud

Lewis Hamilton has doubled down on his criticism of Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, insisting he will not be silenced by the fallout from their clash at the Mexican Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion said he has no regrets about calling out Leclerc's aggressive driving during and after the race on October 25, 2026.

Hamilton questioned Leclerc's mentality in the moment and suggested the Monegasque's approach is "either I win or none of us do."

The flashpoint came on lap one at Turn 4 in Mexico City.

Leclerc charged around the outside of pole-sitter Hamilton after running off the track, taking the lead.

Hamilton lost out to race-winner Max Verstappen in the aftermath.

Ferrari could have achieved a one-two finish, Hamilton believes.

Instead, Verstappen profited and won for Red Bull.

Leclerc received a five-second time penalty from the FIA stewards for the incident.

Hamilton called over team radio that he thought such incidents now warranted a 10-second penalty.

Verstappen echoed that sentiment during the race.

But the stewards cited mitigating circumstances: both drivers went off track, and it was the first lap.

Speaking at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Thursday, November 5, Hamilton did not back down.

"I don't really care what everyone thinks about what I said," Hamilton told the media.

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

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

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

Hamilton said he has not been asked by Ferrari to stop speaking about the issue.

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

The 41-year-old Briton has called for "serious talks" with the team and has demanded a written set of rules of engagement for how Ferrari's drivers race each other on track.

Those internal conversations have not yet taken place, Hamilton revealed.

Team principal Frederic Vasseur traveled back to Europe between the Mexican and Brazilian Grands Prix.

Leclerc also traveled home after attending the birth of his first child.

The 29-year-old Monegasque missed Thursday's media day in Brazil.

He has not yet had a chance to respond to Hamilton's comments.

Hamilton was asked whether he sees Leclerc racing him harder than other drivers on the grid.

"Yes. I can see what you see," Hamilton replied.

He pointed to the Singapore Grand Prix, where Leclerc went wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen for the lead at Turn 1.

"Singapore he was fully alongside Max, wheel-to-wheel, fully on the inside and he backed off," Hamilton said.

"It is definitely different."

Hamilton noted that Leclerc's history with previous teammates follows the same pattern.

"If you look at the teammates it was the same with Sebastian (Vettel), it was the same with Carlos (Sainz)," he said.

This is not the first flashpoint between the two Ferrari drivers this season.

At Monza in September, Ferrari's home race, Leclerc forced Hamilton onto the gravel at the first chicane on lap one.

Leclerc subsequently apologized for that incident.

Hamilton acknowledged that Leclerc's deep roots at Ferrari make his push for change more difficult.

"He is very much embedded within the team and I knew that it would always be a challenge," Hamilton said.

Leclerc joined the Ferrari Academy in 2016 and made his F1 debut for the Scuderia in 2019.

He has been with the team for eight years, while Hamilton joined only at the start of the 2025 season.

Hamilton said he has worked hard to build a good relationship with Leclerc.

"I've always respected that when I've approached the team. I've really worked hard to build a good relationship with Charles," he said.

An Italian newspaper has since singled out Leclerc with a brutal verdict on the clash.

The report frames Leclerc as the driver who cost Ferrari a potential victory.

Hamilton defended the authenticity of his comments, rejecting the suggestion that they were calculated for media effect.

"I did see something that someone was saying that the things that I'm saying are calculated, and I just want to combat that with the fact that when you're in the race, your heart rate is like 170," he said.