Ferrari: The Leclerc Controversy Erupts. Hamilton Is Furious: “A Stolen Victory,” Fans Are Losing Their Patience

Moments of high tension at Ferrari during the Mexican Grand Prix. It all stemmed from what happened in the opening seconds after the start, when Leclerc overtook Hamilton following contact and by cutting the track: the Monegasque driver had to give the position back to the Anglo-Caribbean driver but couldn’t do so because Verstappen had cut in between them.

The Englishman was furious over the team radio: “My teammate pushed me off the track.” Then the seven-time world champion exploded when he discovered that the race stewards had penalized Leclerc with only a 5-second penalty instead of 10: “The stewards are essentially handing Leclerc the victory. They robbed me of a win.”

The debate has exploded on social media, with many condemning Leclerc for his conduct on the first lap: “Leclerc isn’t capable of teamwork,” “Leclerc is selfish, and Ferrari can’t handle him,” “Leclerc turned an easy one-two finish into a disaster.”

And more: “I defended you when you needed defending, but enough is enough! He just can’t measure up to Lewis,” “Maybe one of Ferrari’s problems—one of many—is named Leclerc. After all these years, maybe they should realize he’s no longer the one to bet on,” “He threw away both of their races”—there are thousands of comments.