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Hamilton accuses Leclerc of wrecking Ferrari hopes / Photo: © AFP
Hamilton accuses Leclerc of wrecking Ferrari hopes
Lewis Hamilton said Ferrari could have celebrated a 1-2 triumph in Sunday's Mexico City Grand Prix if Charles Leclerc had worked with him and not clashed with him on the opening lap.
The seven-time champion, who started from a record 105th pole position, said Ferrari had lost points as a result of Leclerc's aggression –- and said they would need serious "off-line" discussions to resolve their problems.
"We could have finished first and second if we had worked as a team, but we lost it in the first few corners," said Hamilton, who finished second behind Red Bull's four-time champion Max Verstappen, who won in Mexico for a record sixth time.
Leclerc moved aggressively to pass Hamilton and ran off track during the opening lap, resulting in him taking a five-second penalty and gifting Verstappen his chance to move from fifth on the grid to overtake Hamilton for second.
Hamilton blamed Leclerc and demanded that Leclerc handed his place back, but he was ignored as the team descended into 'civil war' team radio.
"We didn't sit down before to discuss this and it's all very well to race your team-mate, of course, but not if it's to the detriment of the team," Hamilton said.
"We lost points today and that affects all the people back at the factory and they are the people who do all the hard work. It definitely needs some serious discussions and we'll take it off line to do that."
Leclerc said he had seen a gap on the opening lap "and I went for it."
He added that he believed both he and Hamilton had been late braking at turns four and five when he ran off and "so then we both didn't make the corner."
"It was a confusing situation," he said, explaining that he tried to talk to the team about it during the race and knew he may have had to give his place back.
"For sure, Lewis must have hated the first few laps. So yes we will discuss it."
Team boss Fred Vasseur supported Hamilton's view, saying, "We had a 1-2 on the table and we lost the race so it hurts and feels bad.
"It's a matter of respect –- for the brand, for our sponsors, for the team, for 2,000 people... For me, it is difficult to give up a win like that and I feel down."
A. Bogdanow--BTZ
