‘Wouldn’t Want To Comment’: Charles Leclerc Refuses To Weigh In on Lewis Hamilton Question

Charles Leclerc has declined to comment on his Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton‘s claim that he raced the Monegasque differently during their opening-lap clash at the Mexican Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion had previously expressed frustration, questioning Leclerc’s approach and ‘do or die’ mentality that cost Ferrari a victory.

However, after the Brazilian Grand Prix, when asked whether he agreed with Hamilton’s assessment, Leclerc chose not to get involved in the debate.

“I wouldn’t want to comment on that,” Leclerc said. “Honestly, there have been way too many comments, and much too much fuss about it for way too long, so I don’t really want to get into this kind of comment.”

The Ferrari driver was then asked whether he believed the story had become bigger than it should have been. The nine-time F1 winner agreed, saying: “I do believe that it stayed much longer than it should have.”

What Happened Between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in Mexico?

Hamilton started from pole while Leclerc started from third in Mexico. Both Ferrari drivers found themselves fighting for the lead at Turn 4 on Lap 1, with the Monegasque making contact with Hamilton and taking the lead after cutting the chicane and going on the grass. Stewards eventually handed a 5-second penalty to Leclerc for gaining an advantage off-track.

The incident proved costly for Hamilton, who ran wide on the exit and lost momentum, allowing Verstappen to take second place. The Briton was disappointed that Ferrari did not intervene and ask Leclerc to give up his position. He also questioned the leniency of the five-second time penalty.

Hamilton, who eventually came home second, believed that the team missed out on a solid chance to win in Mexico.

Charles Leclerc Addresses Intra-Team Battle

Leclerc was also questioned about the challenges of having two top drivers competing at the front of a team, with clashes between teammates often being part of sport’s competitive environment.

Hamilton is not new to it, as the veteran has experienced such a situation before, particularly during his time at Mercedes with Nico Rosberg between 2013 and 2016.

When asked whether such situations were common when teams had two number one drivers, Leclerc agreed with the assessment, acknowledging that history had demonstrated the challenges involved.

“I mean, history speaks for itself, and maybe, yeah, looking back, it is maybe something needed,” Leclerc said. “At the same time, sometimes you disagree, but you’ve got to find common ground.”

Both drivers raced cleanly without racing against each other at Sunday’s São Paulo Grand Prix. Leclerc and Hamilton finished eighth and ninth, respectively, at Interlagos.

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Written by

Yash Soni

Yash Soni is a Formula 1 writer with over four years of experience in digital sports journalism. He specializes in F1 news, race analysis, team updates, and paddock stories. With a strong focus on accuracy, research, and SEO-driven storytelling, he aims to deliver engaging and informative coverage that keeps motorsport fans up to date with the latest developments in Formula 1.

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