Leclerc blames Mexico layout for Ferrari clash; Vasseur pushes back

Charles Leclerc has pointed to the Mexico GP circuit layout as a factor in his opening-lap clash with Lewis Hamilton, arguing that a wall at Turn 4 would have discouraged both drivers from braking so late. Ferrari lost the lead after the incident, but team principal Fred Vasseur said the track could not excuse what happened.

Leclerc and Hamilton went wheel-to-wheel as the opening lap unfolded. Hamilton had started from pole, while Leclerc began third and moved ahead of George Russell to take second. Leclerc attacked around the outside at Turn 1, looking to complete the pass at the next corner, but Hamilton held position.

Leclerc says the circuit invites excessive risk

Leclerc tried again around the outside at Turn 4. Both drivers braked too late, and Leclerc ran onto the grass before cutting Turn 5. He emerged in front, while Max Verstappen passed Hamilton.

The stewards gave Leclerc a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage off track. That dropped him to fourth. Hamilton finished second behind Verstappen, with Kimi Antonelli third.

Leclerc said drivers had discussed how to handle such incidents at the Thursday briefing. He argued that circuit design should remove places where drivers can take such risks, and suggested a wall at Turn 4’s exit would have changed their approach to braking. In his view, a layout that prevents drivers from gaining an advantage in this way would make decisions simpler.

The issue follows previous opening-lap disorder in Mexico, including an incident last year in which Verstappen and other drivers went onto the grass at Turn 1. The briefing had led to agreement on stricter penalties: at starts and restarts, drivers would be treated as both attacking and defending, with standard penalties applying when a driver gained an off-track advantage at Turns 1-3 or 4-6.

Vasseur says Ferrari cannot blame the track

Vasseur acknowledged that the layout did not help, noting similar problems in recent years. But he rejected it as an excuse and said Ferrari’s position at Turn 4 had made the result especially frustrating. The team had been running first and second, and he said he could not recall a Mexico overtake from recent decades.

He was also disappointed because Ferrari believed its performance had improved over the previous events. The result denied the team what Vasseur described as a chance to secure its third victory of 2026, leaving him frustrated on behalf of the people working on the project.

The disagreement adds to the post-race scrutiny of the pair’s confrontation. Read more about Hamilton’s 2026 campaign at Ferrari, and Leclerc’s response to criticism.