Charles Leclerc has confirmed that his disagreements with Lewis Hamilton following the controversial Mexican Grand Prix have been settled after a constructive discussion involving both Ferrari drivers and team principal Frederic Vasseur. However, while the internal tensions appear to have been addressed, Ferrari faces a much more immediate challenge at the Brazilian Grand Prix, with Leclerc describing Friday’s performance at Interlagos as one of his worst experiences inside the car this season.
The Monegasque driver revealed that the discussions were necessary to clear the remaining frustrations from Mexico, where an aggressive battle between the Ferrari teammates resulted in a five-second penalty for Leclerc and significant controversy surrounding the team’s racing guidelines. With the championship already decided in favour of Kimi Antonelli, Ferrari’s attention is now shifting towards restoring competitiveness and preventing further complications between its drivers.
LECLERC CONFIRMS HAMILTON DISCUSSIONS HAVE BEEN SETTLED
Leclerc provided a positive update on his relationship with Hamilton following their meeting with Vasseur after the Mexican Grand Prix.
The Ferrari team principal previously confirmed that he had spoken with both drivers, explaining that the conversation took place after returning to Europe between the two race weekends.
Vasseur insisted that Ferrari’s racing guidelines would remain unchanged, while reminding both drivers of their responsibility towards the organisation, its employees and the people working tirelessly behind the scenes.
Speaking after Friday’s second practice session in Brazil, Leclerc confirmed that the discussion had been productive.
“Yeah, I think it was really good to just discuss it altogether,” he explained.
The Ferrari driver also revealed that the timing of the conversation coincided with a particularly important personal moment, having recently become a father for the first time.
“For me, it’s been a bit of a crazy week, positively, because I became a father for the first time, so we didn’t necessarily have time to discuss,” Leclerc added.
He subsequently acknowledged that addressing the remaining frustrations was necessary before moving forward.
“And I think discussing whatever frustration is left is always good, and that was needed. Now I feel it’s fully settled, and I don’t think we should be speaking about it too much going forward.”
His comments suggest that Ferrari has successfully prevented the Mexico controversy from becoming a prolonged internal conflict.
FERRARI’S MEXICO CONTROVERSY APPEARS TO BE BEHIND THEM
The disagreement between Hamilton and Leclerc emerged during one of the most controversial moments of Ferrari’s 2026 season.
At the Mexican Grand Prix, the two drivers battled aggressively, with Leclerc ultimately receiving a five-second penalty after an incident involving Hamilton.
The punishment complicated Ferrari’s race and intensified questions about how the team manages competition between two drivers who are both considered capable of fighting for victories.
Hamilton subsequently expressed frustration about the situation, insisting that he would not remain silent about what he believed happened during the race.
The seven-time world champion also suggested that Leclerc races him harder than some of his other competitors, adding another dimension to the discussion.
However, the latest meeting appears to have provided an opportunity for both drivers to communicate their concerns directly rather than allowing disagreements to continue through public comments.
For Ferrari, resolving the issue is particularly important because internal friction can quickly become damaging when a team is already struggling to deliver competitive machinery.
FERRARI’S BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX START LEAVES LECLERC DEEPLY FRUSTRATED
Although the Hamilton situation appears to have improved, Ferrari’s performance at Interlagos has provided Leclerc with another major concern.
The Monegasque driver missed the opening practice session after Ferrari handed its SF-26 to rookie Dino Beganovic, meaning FP2 was his first opportunity to drive during the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend.
Unfortunately, his return to the cockpit was far from encouraging.
Leclerc described Friday as a particularly difficult day, admitting that the car’s behaviour was significantly worse than he had anticipated.
“It’s been a very difficult Friday. The feeling was just very poor inside the car, so we’ve got a lot of work to do and probably more than other weekends,” he explained.
He also indicated that Ferrari would need to make substantial adjustments before Saturday’s qualifying session.
“We need to change quite a lot of the car from today to tomorrow. It just felt quite strange in a way. So, yeah, lots of changes to be made.”
The comments suggest that Ferrari’s engineers have a difficult overnight assignment as they attempt to identify the underlying problems affecting the car.
LECLERC IDENTIFIES CORNERING PERFORMANCE AS FERRARI’S BIGGEST WEAKNESS
One particularly worrying aspect of Leclerc’s assessment was his admission that Ferrari appeared to have lost an important competitive advantage.
The SF-26 has generally demonstrated strong cornering performance during the season, allowing the team to compensate for certain weaknesses elsewhere.
However, Leclerc suggested that the car was unusually difficult to drive through the corners at Interlagos.
“We were losing for sure on the straights, but I think the car, in terms of the corners, just felt probably one of the worst Friday feelings of the season,” he said.
He continued by explaining that Ferrari normally possesses considerable strength in the corners, making Friday’s performance particularly surprising.
“But, normally, we are very fast in corners, and today that was not the case.”
This distinction is important because Ferrari already knows that straight-line speed has been one of its weaknesses.
If the team is also struggling through corners, it becomes much more difficult to compete against Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull.
Interlagos is a demanding circuit that combines technical sections with opportunities for overtaking, meaning Ferrari cannot afford to sacrifice performance across multiple areas.
FERRARI ENGINEERS FACE A CRUCIAL NIGHT BEFORE QUALIFYING
Leclerc remains hopeful that Ferrari can identify the necessary improvements before qualifying, although he admitted that the scale of Friday’s problems makes the situation particularly challenging.
The driver explained that he already had several ideas about how to improve the car, suggesting that the team would pursue significant setup changes.
“I don’t have the answer yet. I’ve got quite a lot of ideas on what to change, and I think there will be significant changes going into tomorrow,” Leclerc revealed.
However, he also warned that the problems experienced during Friday’s sessions were substantial.
“Whether that will be enough, the issues we had today was quite big, but there’s no reason why we would struggle so much more on a track like this, so we need to find a solution.”
His comments reflect the urgency facing Ferrari as the weekend progresses.
With qualifying approaching, the team must determine whether its difficulties are primarily related to setup, balance or a combination of factors affecting the SF-26.
A successful adjustment could transform Ferrari’s weekend, but another disappointing session would leave the drivers fighting from a less favourable position on the grid.
HAMILTON AND LECLERC’S RELATIONSHIP WILL REMAIN UNDER CLOSE SCRUTINY
Even though Leclerc has declared the Mexico discussions settled, Ferrari’s handling of its driver partnership will continue attracting attention.
Hamilton and Leclerc are both highly competitive drivers, and neither is likely to willingly surrender opportunities when victories or championship positions are at stake.
Ferrari’s commitment to treating both drivers equally creates an additional challenge for Vasseur, who must ensure that competition remains aggressive without becoming destructive.
The Mexican Grand Prix demonstrated how quickly a disagreement can escalate when two teammates fight for the same position.
For now, Leclerc’s comments provide Ferrari with a welcome indication that the immediate tension has been addressed.
Nevertheless, the Brazilian Grand Prix could provide another test of the relationship if both drivers find themselves battling on track.
FERRARI MUST TURN POSITIVE TALKS INTO RESULTS AT INTERLAGOS
Ferrari enters the remainder of the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend with two important objectives: maintaining harmony between its drivers and recovering the performance that appeared to be missing on Friday.
The Hamilton-Leclerc discussions represent a positive development, particularly after the controversy surrounding their Mexican Grand Prix battle.
However, resolving internal disagreements will mean little if Ferrari cannot produce a competitive car capable of challenging its rivals.
Leclerc’s assessment suggests that the team’s engineers have significant work ahead, and the next sessions will reveal whether those changes can deliver the improvements Ferrari desperately needs.
With the championship already settled, Ferrari’s remaining races are becoming increasingly important for rebuilding confidence, strengthening its competitive position and establishing a positive foundation for the future.
The Mexico controversy may finally be behind Hamilton and Leclerc, but Ferrari’s Brazilian Grand Prix battle is only beginning.
