Lewis Hamilton refuses to back down in the face of criticism from teammate Leclerc | Formula 1

Lewis Hamilton has refused to back down on his criticism of Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc after a row between the two men at last weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix.

Leclerc and Hamilton collided at turn four during the first lap of the race in Mexico last Sunday, with Leclerc attempting to pass his teammate. He left as he did so and Hamilton’s defense left him vulnerable to overtaking Max Verstappen who then won, costing Ferrari a potential double.

Ferrari has no formal rules of engagement between its drivers and Hamilton said at the time that the team had “big, big problems”, later blaming his teammate squarely for costing them a chance at victory. “This guy is 29, so I don’t think it’s an age thing. I think it’s a mentality thing. It’s like ‘do or die. Either I win or none of us do,'” he said.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s São Paulo Grand Prix, Hamilton insisted he would not walk back his remarks. “I don’t really care what anyone thinks about what I say, I wear my heart on my sleeve and I say what I feel in the moment,” he said. “Of course, there are times when you say things and maybe you might regret them later. That’s not the case for me.

“I will never apologize for being authentic and real and I’m not going to be silenced. I wasn’t asked not to say anything and that’s how it is.”

Leclerc did not attend media engagements on Thursday in São Paulo as he attended the birth of his first child, so he has yet to respond to Hamilton, who argued that Ferrari needed to address the issue but also noted that the two had not yet spoken to Fred Vasseur, the team principal.

Leclerc has been with the Scuderia since 2019 while Hamilton joined in 2025 and the two enjoyed a good working relationship last year. However, this season, while the Briton enjoys the better form of the two, the incident in Mexico was the third time they have found themselves at odds on the track.

The seven-time champion has made it clear that he has no intention of not fighting on or off the track. “He is very integrated within the team and I knew it would always be a challenge, I always respected that,” he said. “I’ve really worked hard to build a good relationship with Charles, bridge the gap and make sure we’re in harmony and working hard together.

“Naturally it’s not that easy to have someone like me on a team because I’m very outspoken and I push and push and push for so many changes and I’m going to push even more while I’m here. That’s how it’s going to be. I’m here to win and to be able to win you have to work with everyone around you. I truly believe this team can challenge for the championship next year.”

After winning the drivers’ championship with Kimi Antonelli last weekend, Mercedes can also clinch the constructors’ title in Brazil if they edge Ferrari by three points.