Leclerc downplays Hamilton clash that cost Ferrari victory in Mexico City

Charles Leclerc does not expect his first-lap clash with team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the Mexico City Grand Prix to be much of a talking point within Ferrari. The incident at Turn 4 saw both drivers run wide, with Leclerc later receiving a five-second time penalty and Max Verstappen taking advantage to move into second.

Leclerc said he had received unclear feedback from the team and had expected some kind of penalty, adding that he chose to keep the position rather than hand it back. He stressed that both drivers had made a mistake and that there had been no contact between them, describing the incident as a shared error that he had paid for with the penalty.

Leclerc finished fourth, behind Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli, who clinched the drivers' championship. Hamilton had earlier vented his frustration over team radio, insisting there were big problems to address.