Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur held talks with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc after their Mexico City Grand Prix battle, making it clear that Ferrari comes first.
The discussion came after an opening-lap clash at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, where Hamilton and Leclerc went wheel-to-wheel in a race Ferrari had put itself in position to control. Instead, the team missed a potential one-two finish and the fallout carried into the next round, the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Vasseur said he spoke with both drivers the previous evening because he had to fly back to Europe between the two races. He described the conversation as productive, saying it was a chance to clarify his position and theirs before turning the page and focusing on what comes next.
The timing matters because Hamilton had already called for discussions over the rules of engagement before Sao Paulo. Ferrari, meanwhile, is trying to manage two experienced, competitive drivers who are close enough in pace to fight each other for the same results. Vasseur said that creates tension, especially after four or five races in a row with the team near the front.
He also pointed to the bigger picture. Ferrari was in P2 and did not convert that into a win in Mexico City, which Vasseur described as a collective failure. His message to both drivers was straightforward: respect each other, respect the team, and respect the brand, the employees and the Tifosi.
Ferrari’s message after Mexico City
Vasseur made clear that he is not asking Hamilton and Leclerc to be best friends. He said they are different personalities and that the priority is not personal harmony, but professional respect and discipline when they are racing each other on track.
That is the reality Ferrari is managing right now. The team has two drivers capable of fighting at the front, which is a strength, but it also creates the possibility of internal friction when both want the same result. Vasseur said Ferrari will deal with the negatives while continuing to benefit from having two competitive drivers in the same garage.
For Ferrari, the next step is simple enough to say, even if it is harder to execute: put the Mexico City dispute behind them and keep the focus on the race ahead.
