Charles Leclerc commented on the first-lap contact involving Lewis Hamilton and the chaotic moment that also saw Max Verstappen get involved. Here’s what the Monegasque driver said as he explained what happened during the start of the Mexican Grand Prix.
The Maranello-based team claimed its seventh podium of the 2025 Formula 1 season thanks to Charles Leclerc, who offered a detailed account of what unfolded at the start in Mexico. The Ferrari driver found himself “sandwiched” between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen as the lights went out.
Leclerc caught between Hamilton and Verstappen
As seen at the start of the Mexican Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc lined up second on the dirty side of the grid, which prevented him from getting good traction off the line. The number 16 Ferrari was forced to defend against Hamilton on the inside, leaving the outside line wide open. Max Verstappen seized that opportunity and attempted to go around the outside. Both Leclerc and Verstappen went off at Turn 1, but unlike his Dutch rival, Leclerc did not give the position back to his teammate. It was a smart move that ultimately compromised the race of the seven-time world champion. Here’s what the Monegasque had to say about the start and his contact with Lewis Hamilton.
Leclerc: “It was quite stressful”
“Chaos. I hated every second of the start,” Charles Leclerc admitted. “Obviously, there was Lewis on the inside, and I don’t think he expected Max to be on the outside. So there was a small contact, and then I ended up on the dirty side of the track with no grip at all. I couldn’t stay there because the angle with Lewis was just impossible to manage in that corner. So I had to go straight, but it was quite stressful. I honestly thought the race was over not just for me, but for Lewis and Max too—especially for Lewis. That’s racing, I think Lewis just wanted to go for his move. I would have done exactly the same if I were him, so yeah… it’s completely normal.”
Charles Leclerc’s controlled race and another podium for Ferrari
Charles Leclerc did not criticize Lewis Hamilton’s aggressive move at the start. The unpleasant feeling he described came from believing, for a brief moment, that all three cars could have been out of the race. The Monegasque driver wisely decided to back off to avoid any further risk.
From that point onward, his race became one of pure management. The medium compound tyre offered very little grip and was far from ideal in terms of performance, forcing the Monegasque driver to carefully control his pace. Fortunately, the appearance of the Virtual Safety Car later in the race prevented Max Verstappen from attempting another overtake and denied the Dutchman the chance to take second place away from him.
It was the second consecutive podium for Charles Leclerc and his seventh of the 2025 Formula 1 season, confirming Ferrari’s growing consistency and competitiveness as the championship heads into its final rounds.
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