Sao Paulo (AFP) - Ferrari's French director Fred Vasseur said Friday that his feuding drivers, Britain's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc from Monaco, were reminded that the Italian team's interest always comes first, following a meeting held at the Interlagos circuit.

Published on: 06/11/2026 - 21:17

During a press conference after the end of the first free practice session for the Brazilian Grand Prix, Vasseur confirmed that he met with seven-time world champion Hamilton and Leclerc to discuss their contact and performance in the Mexican race last Sunday.

“The guidelines always remain the same,” he said. “They are two drivers with a high fighting spirit for sure, but they have to respect each other.”

He added, "But the most important thing, and above all, is that they respect the brand, the team, the people who work in the factory and those who work on the track. I think we are making a great effort in this regard, and the message was clear, and it will remain clear."

Hamilton, who started from pole position for the first time with Ferrari, explained after the Mexico race that he felt that Leclerc was too aggressive in the opening lap when he came into contact with him and they went off the track together, which dashed Ferrari's hopes of winning.

The British driver called for serious discussions, and confirmed Thursday that he is still frustrated and will not stop frankly expressing his opinion on these issues.

The two drivers have not met since the Mexico race, as Leclerc returned to Monaco to attend the birth of his first daughter.

Vasseur rejected allegations made by Hamilton and others that Leclerc drives more aggressively against his teammates than his rivals, citing his bold overtaking of Red Bull's four-time world champion Dutch driver Max Verstappen in the Austin race.

He said: “If you look at what Charles did in the first sector in Austin, everyone described it as magic. The difference between the two cases is subtle, but he did not hit the other car.”

He added, "Certainly, in this situation we failed collectively because we were in first and second place and did not win the race in the end. This clearly means that we failed and we have to respond to that."

He continued, "But the conclusion of last night's meeting (Thursday) was a clear reminder that Ferrari comes first, first for the brand, the employees, and (the Tifosi) the team's fans, and we must keep that in our minds."

© 2026 AFP

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