Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said the opening-lap fight between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the Mexico City Grand Prix was a matter of respect, after the team’s drivers lost an early one-two position and Max Verstappen went on to win.
Hamilton started from pole and held the lead into Turn 1, while Leclerc moved from third to second by passing George Russell. At Turn 4, both Ferraris ran wide as they contested the same space. Leclerc cut across the grass and took the lead, while Hamilton lost momentum and was passed by Verstappen.
Leclerc kept the position rather than immediately giving it back, later receiving a five-second penalty. Verstappen took the lead during the pit stops. After a red-flag stoppage, Hamilton finished second, while Leclerc held on to fourth after locking up at the restart. Ferrari had started the race with strong pace and ultimately finished P2 and P4.
Vasseur said the circuit’s layout had contributed to the incident, but should not be treated as an excuse. He described the result as particularly frustrating because Ferrari had been running first and second at Turn 4 on a track where overtaking is difficult. He also said the outcome affected the many people working on the team’s project.
Asked about preparations for the first lap, Vasseur said the issue was not which side of the track a driver occupied, but respect for the team. He said both drivers were working for the wider group, including the company’s staff and sponsors, and should keep that in mind.
Leclerc had said he wanted clearer instructions from the pit wall about whether to give the position back. Vasseur acknowledged that making the call was difficult because of a delay between the video and the live action. However, he said the drivers had agreed before the race to return a position themselves when required, and that the regulations called for it to happen before Turn 11.
Vasseur declined to interpret Hamilton’s radio comment that Ferrari had “big problems,” saying he wanted to speak with the drivers first.
Despite his frustration, Vasseur pointed to Ferrari’s pole position and recent improvement in performance as positives. He said the team had scored more points than its competitors for several races in a row and believed its pace in Mexico was sufficient to fight for the win. He added that Ferrari was competitive alongside its rivals and expected another battle at the next race in Sao Paulo.
Sources: Formula 1.