Formula 1 journalist Roberto Chinchero has questioned Lewis Hamilton’s motives for publicly revisiting his dispute with Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc four days after the Mexican Grand Prix. Speaking during a Sky Sport F1 analysis programme, he suggested that the seven-time world champion was fully aware of the media reaction his comments would generate, raising questions about what the British driver was trying to achieve.
The controversy surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s renewed criticism of Charles Leclerc ahead of the São Paulo Grand Prix has continued to attract attention. While Roberto Chinchero considers the frustration expressed immediately after the race understandable, he finds the decision to return to the subject several days later much harder to explain.
Roberto Chinchero questions Lewis Hamilton’s motives after Ferrari controversy
For Roberto Chinchero, the distinction lies between an emotional reaction in the immediate aftermath of a difficult race and a deliberate decision to repeat the same criticism four days later. Given Lewis Hamilton’s experience and understanding of how the media operates, the journalist doubts that the timing of those comments was accidental.
“It’s a situation that erupted in Mexico, but here in Brazil it has taken on rather strange dimensions. Lewis Hamilton’s immediate reaction, straight after the race, was perhaps understandable. Lewis was convinced he could win; after all, he was leading after the third corner. Then the race took a different turn.
“I think he particularly wanted to emphasise one aspect: in his view, the first two positions were already secure, and Charles Leclerc attempted an attack that Lewis Hamilton believed had no chance of succeeding. Naturally, Charles Leclerc will have a different interpretation of the incident and will argue that he had an opportunity to try. Lewis Hamilton also ran wide while attempting to defend.
“Up to that point, there would be nothing particularly surprising about it. These are situations that can occur on track, although it would be preferable to avoid them when a team is running first and second.
“What surprised me, however, was seeing Lewis Hamilton repeat essentially the same points four days later. It’s true that, in the meantime, he had not yet had the opportunity to speak with Fred Vasseur and his team-mate, but that is precisely why I wonder what the objective of his comments was.
“Because there must be a purpose behind certain words. Lewis Hamilton is an extremely experienced driver, he understands perfectly how communication works and knows what kind of impact his comments can have in the media.
“He was therefore fully aware of the reactions he would provoke by publicly returning to the subject. Lewis Hamilton is not someone who speaks without thinking, and that makes it even more interesting to understand what he hoped to achieve by taking this position.”
Ferrari’s Mexico GP clash continues to raise questions in Brazil
The disagreement stems from the controversial battle between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the Mexican Grand Prix, where their differing interpretations of the incident subsequently became a subject of public discussion.
Roberto Chinchero acknowledged that the two Ferrari drivers would naturally view the confrontation differently. Lewis Hamilton believed that the leading positions were already established and that his team-mate’s attempted move was unlikely to succeed, while Charles Leclerc would see the situation as a legitimate opportunity to attack.
However, the journalist’s central concern was not simply the on-track confrontation itself. Instead, he questioned why Lewis Hamilton chose to repeat his criticism in Brazil before holding discussions with Charles Leclerc and team principal Fred Vasseur.
That distinction is particularly relevant given the debate surrounding Ferrari’s approach to managing its drivers following the Mexico GP controversy. For Roberto Chinchero, Lewis Hamilton’s considerable experience makes it difficult to believe that the British driver was unaware of the attention his renewed comments would attract.
The journalist did not identify a specific objective behind Lewis Hamilton’s decision to speak publicly again. Instead, he left open the question of what the seven-time world champion intended to achieve by returning to a disagreement that had already generated significant attention around Ferrari.
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