Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur held a meeting with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in São Paulo following their lap-one clash at the Mexico City GP. Vasseur said "the message was clear and will stay clear", and Leclerc said everything is now "fully settled". Friday practice then went badly for both drivers, so Ferrari's weekend now turns on two things: the mood inside the team and the car's set-up.
What happened in Mexico
The two Ferraris tangled at Turn 4 on lap one of the Mexico City GP on 1 November. Leclerc took the lead but picked up a five-second penalty. Verstappen won, Hamilton finished second and Leclerc fourth.
According to Sky Sports, the stewards found both cars entered Turn 4 with "excessive speed". The baseline penalty was 10 seconds, reduced to five because Hamilton had also been off track early in the lap.
After the race Hamilton called Leclerc's approach "a mentality thing" and said "we don't have rules of engagement". On 3 November he said the team needed "some serious talks behind the scenes".
The Thursday meeting in São Paulo
The talks took place on Thursday evening, 5 November, at Interlagos. Sky Sports and RacingNews365 both carried Vasseur's comments. He said "it went well", that Ferrari had "failed collectively", and that the drivers "need to respect each other".
Hamilton had said on Thursday that Leclerc raced him harder than he races rivals. Vasseur played that down, saying the line was "fine". The articles quoted contain no mention of any new sanction or reprimand.
After Friday practice Leclerc told reporters the meeting was "really good": "discussing whatever is left, or whatever frustration is left, was needed. Now I feel it's fully settled." He also called it "a bit of a crazy week" — he became a father this week.
Friday practice was off the pace
RacingNews365 reports Hamilton was sixth in FP2 and Leclerc seventh. Leclerc described FP2 as "one of the worst feeling I've had this year in the car" and said he would make "significant" set-up changes. Hamilton said it was "a challenging day".
Both drivers say the meeting cleared the air, but the real test is qualifying and the race this weekend.
Sources
- Sky Sports, 'The message was clear' - Vasseur holds Hamilton-Leclerc meeting after clash
- RacingNews365, Ferrari reveal outcome of crunch Hamilton-Leclerc meeting after Mexico spat
- RacingNews365, Charles Leclerc releases 'frustration' in Ferrari meeting after 'crazy week'
- Sky Sports, Leclerc plans 'significant' car changes after tough day for Ferrari
- Sky Sports, Hamilton hits out at Leclerc after Mexico clash
