Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur said he had met Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at Interlagos on Thursday evening to discuss their opening-lap clash at the Mexico City Grand Prix. On Friday, he described the conversation as useful and said the team had turned its attention to São Paulo. His public message was that Ferrari comes first, while the drivers are expected to respect one another and work professionally—not become “best friends.”
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Vasseur’s message: respect and professionalism
Vasseur said the meeting let him clarify his position and hear the drivers’ perspectives. He said the guidelines had not changed: both drivers are competitors, but they must respect one another and put Ferrari’s interests first. He said he was asking them to work as professionals, not to be close friends.
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He did not give a detailed account of what was said privately. The public outcome he described was a reset: “Now we turn the page,” he said, with the team focused on the next race.
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How the Mexico clash cost Ferrari
Hamilton and Leclerc were running first and second when they went wheel-to-wheel on the opening lap. At Turn 4, both ran wide; Leclerc came out ahead, while Hamilton lost position to Max Verstappen. Leclerc later received a five-second penalty for the incident involving his teammate. Verstappen won, Hamilton finished second and Leclerc was classified fourth.
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The incident turned what had been a potential Ferrari one-two into a missed opportunity. Vasseur had already described the episode as a failure that required a response, while Friday’s comments emphasized moving forward.
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Why the meeting happened on Thursday
Hamilton said on Thursday that he remained frustrated and that he and Leclerc had not yet had a proper discussion about the incident. He explained that Vasseur had returned to Italy between races and Leclerc had gone to Monaco, so the three had not been together to speak face to face. Leclerc had also missed Thursday’s media duties after the birth of his daughter.
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Leclerc’s absence from Friday’s first practice was not a consequence of the clash: Dino Beganovic’s outing had been scheduled as part of Ferrari’s rookie-running programme.
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The Mexico result and the São Paulo reset
Kimi Antonelli’s third place in Mexico clinched the drivers’ championship, according to the race report.
4 For Ferrari, Vasseur’s immediate concern was to close the chapter on the teammate dispute and focus on São Paulo. His comments set a clear standard for Hamilton and Leclerc—respect the team and each other, and compete professionally—without requiring personal friendship.
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