Lewis Hamilton has claimed that Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc races him harder than other drivers in Formula 1 following their clash in the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Hamilton and Leclerc’s squabble on the opening lap last weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez allowed Max Verstappen to sneak in to beat Ferrari to the win.

Lewis Hamilton doubles down on Charles Leclerc stance

Hamilton, who had started on pole position, made his displeasure known post-race, questioning Leclerc’s “do or die” mentality when it comes to battling the sister Ferrari.

The prospect that Hamilton might adopt a more diplomatic view to cool the tension was dispelled on Thursday in Brazil, as the Briton vowed that he would not be “silenced” before going on to double down on his stance about his teammate’s track record.

When asked whether he agrees that Leclerc races him more fiercely than other drivers, Hamilton answered: “Yes.”

The seven-time F1 champion pointed to the race start in Singapore last month to support his point, where Leclerc backed out of a potential move for the lead on Verstappen.

“I can say what you see. Singapore, he was fully wheel to wheel, fully on the inside, had won the lead in Turn 1 in Singapore and backed off,” he continued.

“[He] definitely [races against them] different. If you look at the teammates, it’s the same with Sebastian [Vettel], it’s the same with Carlos [Sainz].”

More on the simmering tensions at Ferrari

Ferrari boss reveals outcome of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc talks

Carlos Sainz lifts lid on the Ferrari pressure behind Hamilton and Leclerc’s rivalry

Leclerc, who arrived late in Sao Paulo – and missed media day – due to the birth of his first child, claimed that the squabble is “settled” to his mind after the team held talks on Thursday ahead of the new race weekend getting underway.

Meanwhile, Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur, who declined to apportion blame to either driver in Mexico despite his evident irritation, was grilled on the matter on Friday at Interlagos.

“We had the discussion [with the drivers]. It has to stay private,” the Frenchman insisted. “It’s a matter of respect also for them and for the team.

“Once again, the most important is the message. The message is that we are working for a brand; we are working for sponsors, we are working for… I would say probably mainly also the employees of the team.

“And we had a good recovery in terms of performance. We came back after Madrid in much better shape, and this is due to the work of the people at home.

“We all, as a team, have to keep this in mind: that it’s not due to the wind or whatever. It’s due to the work of the people and the employees of the company. And that was the tone of the message.”

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