Max Verstappen Takes Dig at Ferrari’s Infighting After Winning From Fifth in Mexico

Max Verstappen turned a fifth-place start into his third win of 2026 at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday, and he knows who helped him. The Red Bull driver pointed at Ferrari, where Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc ran off the track side by side while fighting for the lead on the opening lap. That mix-up pushed Verstappen up to second, and Red Bull’s pit strategy later put him in front of Leclerc.

“I do think they made it a little bit difficult for themselves, fighting each other, and that’s why I could capitalise on that,” Verstappen said after beating Hamilton by 0.799 seconds at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

The win moved Verstappen up to second in the drivers’ championship with 261 points, two clear of Hamilton. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, 20, finished third and clinched his first title, becoming the youngest champion in F1 history.

Max Verstappen Slips Through As Ferrari Drivers Run Wide

A one-place grid penalty after the clash with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson earlier in the weekend and a lock-up in qualifying left Verstappen fifth on the grid. A great start got him up to third before the first big moment of the race.

Hamilton, on pole, held the lead into the first corner, but Leclerc kept attacking on the outside, and at Turn 4 both cars went off the track.

Leclerc cut across the grass to take the lead, while Hamilton rejoined with a slow exit through Turn 5. Verstappen got past Hamilton right there, so Leclerc had no clean way to hand the place back.

Stewards handed Leclerc a five-second penalty. Red Bull then called Verstappen in on the same lap as Leclerc, and the Dutchman rejoined in front while the Ferrari sat out its penalty.

Verstappen said Ferrari’s drivers both think of themselves as team leaders and always push hard. “I think today it cost them the win,” he told Sky Sports F1. He also credited his start and Red Bull’s strategy for setting up his race.

The win still wasn’t safe. After a red flag for Valtteri Bottas’ crash, Hamilton passed Leclerc at the standing restart and went after Verstappen at Turn 1, where the two touched. Verstappen held the lead then, and again after a late safety car restart with eight laps left. He said Hamilton sat right behind him at the end, so he couldn’t afford a mistake.

Hamilton and Leclerc Disagree Over Who Cost Ferrari the Win

Hamilton vented over the radio during the race, saying “the stewards are basically handing Charles this win.” Right after the race, he told Nico Rosberg, “I think we have to have some serious talks behind the scenes, for sure.”

Hamilton said the drivers agreed before the race that anyone who went off had to give the place back. He also pointed out that he got a 10-second penalty for a similar move last year.

Hamilton later said he doesn’t see Leclerc’s approach as an age issue, since Leclerc is 28. “I think it’s a mentality thing,” he said, adding that he saw the same pattern between Leclerc and Carlos Sainz before he joined Ferrari.

Leclerc agreed the five-second penalty was fair. “The penalty was deserved in a way,” he said, explaining that both drivers missed Turn 4, Verstappen got by Hamilton, and he asked the team what to do before keeping the position. He also argued the clash shouldn’t become a big story, noting the two never touched, and said, “I don’t think it should be that much of a talking point.”

Ferrari still has those talks ahead of it, and the team heads to Brazil next weekend. Verstappen arrives with a two-point lead over Hamilton in the fight for second place.

More F1 Reading

• ‘I Will Need Time To Digest’: Fred Vasseur Furious After Ferrari’s First 2026 Pole Ends in Costly Mexico Clash
• Sebastian Vettel Delivers Heartfelt Message as Kimi Antonelli Breaks His Record To Win F1 Title 
• Lewis Hamilton Blames Charles Leclerc’s ‘Do or Die’ Mentality for Costing Ferrari Mexican GP Win
• ‘We Did It’: Kimi Antonelli Cries and Laughs As He Becomes Youngest F1 Champion in Mexico