By Salma El-Sakka
Lewis Hamilton has doubled down on his criticism of Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc following last weekend's Mexican Grand Prix, declaring he will not be "silenced" and has no regrets over his comments. The seven-time world champion was furious with Leclerc after the Monegasque driver charged around the outside of pole-sitter Hamilton on lap one, running off track to take the lead while Hamilton lost out to eventual race winner Max Verstappen.
Hamilton demands written rules of engagement
Hamilton believes Ferrari could have achieved a one-two finish in Mexico and has asked the team for "serious talks" and a written set of rules of engagement for on-track racing. "I don't really care what everyone thinks about what I said, I wear my heart on my sleeve and I say how I feel in the moment," Hamilton said. "I'm never going to apologise for being authentic and real and I'm not going to be silenced."
Leclerc absent from Brazil media day
Leclerc was absent from Thursday's media day in Brazil after attending the birth of his first child, leaving him no opportunity to respond publicly. Hamilton said the pair have not yet had a chance to speak with team principal Fred Vasseur about the incident.
History of intra-team battles cited
Hamilton pointed to Leclerc's previous battles with former team-mates Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz as evidence of a pattern. "Singapore he was fully alongside Max, wheel-to-wheel, fully on the inside and he backed off," Hamilton said. "It is definitely different, but if you look at the team-mates it was the same with Sebastian, it was the same with Carlos."
Sainz reflects on past rivalry
Carlos Sainz, now racing for Williams, said he had no issues with Leclerc during their time as team-mates. "I always respected Charles, he always respected me. We never had contacts, we had strong fights," Sainz said. He added that the intense Ferrari fanbase and media scrutiny created a polarised atmosphere that was more difficult than the on-track competition.
Hamilton acknowledges challenge of joining established team
The 41-year-old Briton acknowledged that Leclerc is deeply embedded within Ferrari, having joined the academy in 2016 and debuted for the Scuderia in 2019. "I've really worked hard to build a good relationship with Charles and bridge the gap and make sure that we're harmonious and work hard together," Hamilton said. "Naturally it's not so easy having someone like me come into a team because I'm very outspoken and I push and push and push for so many changes."
