Lewis Hamilton, aged 41, expressed his displeasure during the Formula 1 Mexico Grand Prix, frustrated by teammate Charles Leclerc’s actions, who overtook him in the first lap of the race.
Starting from pole position at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Hamilton had secured his first pole as a Ferrari driver on Saturday. He successfully defended himself against George Russell, who started beside him, but faced significant challenges from third-place starter Leclerc.
In turn 4, Hamilton believed he had the right of way, but Leclerc executed a late braking overtaking maneuver on the outside. Hamilton did not yield space, leading to Leclerc going off track before returning to the circuit in the lead.
Hamilton’s Frustration Peaks: “We Have Big Problems!”
Leclerc retained his position despite exceeding track limits, and in lap 13, race officials imposed a 5-second penalty on him, which he served during his first pit stop.
Throughout the race, Hamilton continually complained over the radio about Leclerc’s actions at the start, stating, “my own teammate pushed me off the track.” Following lap 20, he also voiced concerns regarding Leclerc’s penalty, claiming, “the race officials are practically handing the victory to Charles. We agreed on something in the drivers’ meeting,” he added.
The tension escalated on lap 46 when the race was halted due to a red flag caused by Valtteri Bottas’s crash. Aware that his chances for victory were diminishing, Hamilton expressed his frustration over the radio, saying, “We have big problems. Big, big problems!”
📻 “We’ve got big problems…” Hamilton sounding very unimpressed over the radio 😳 #F1 #MexicoGP
