Ferrari plans Interlagos sit-down as Hamilton and Leclerc remain split after Mexico
Ferrari arrives at Interlagos with its SF-26 finally competitive after a long season of chasing form, yet the paddock conversation is dominated by the unresolved clash between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in the opening corners of the Mexico Grand Prix. That incident turned a Sunday that might have produced a win or a one-two into second and fourth, and it has not faded. Speaking to media at Interlagos yesterday, Hamilton restated the position he took on Sunday evening in Mexico City, with no climbdown. There has been no joint debrief with team principal Fred Vasseur since Mexico: Vasseur went back to Maranello while Leclerc stayed with his wife Alexandra ahead of the birth of their child. The sit-down was delayed until today, when the Monegasque reaches the São Paulo paddock. The point is not to relitigate Mexico but to set a rule that when a Ferrari can win, an internal fight cannot put the team at risk. Neither driver is in the world championship hunt. Hamilton spent years after Nico Rosberg’s retirement at the end of 2016 as Mercedes’ undisputed reference; at Ferrari he shares the stage with a teammate who has been there since 2019 and will not yield that standing. Over the last three races Ferrari has scored more constructors’ points than any other team, restoring a car capable of poles and wins just as Vasseur, who has long defended their freedom to race, faces one of the most delicate tests of his tenure.
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