Lewis Hamilton delivered another frustrated message to Ferrari during the red-flag interruption at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, describing the team’s situation as involving major problems following a race already overshadowed by his controversial opening-lap battle with Charles Leclerc. The seven-time world champion’s comments came as the field returned to the pit lane after Valtteri Bottas crashed at Turn 1, bringing the Grand Prix to a temporary halt.
Hamilton had already expressed considerable dissatisfaction with how Ferrari’s race had unfolded, particularly the consequences of Leclerc’s opening-lap move and the stewards’ decision to impose a five-second penalty. His latest warning therefore arrived against a backdrop of growing frustration, with the Scuderia having lost the advantage of starting first and third despite demonstrating strong pace throughout the Mexican weekend.
Lewis Hamilton delivers frustrated Ferrari team radio during Mexico GP red flag
As the drivers returned to the pit lane following the suspension of the race, Hamilton communicated another blunt assessment of Ferrari’s situation.
“We’ve got big problems.”
The British driver immediately reinforced his message.
“Big, big problems.”
Although Hamilton did not elaborate on the precise meaning of his warning, the comments followed a series of increasingly critical radio exchanges concerning Ferrari’s handling of the opening-lap controversy.
The message came during an interruption caused by Bottas’ accident rather than during another direct battle between the Ferrari teammates. Nevertheless, the wider circumstances of Hamilton’s race provide important context for understanding his apparent frustration.
Having started from pole position, the seven-time world champion had already lost the lead, questioned the consequences of his teammate’s manoeuvre and criticised the stewards’ response. By the time the race was suspended, Ferrari’s promising starting position had developed into a far more complicated situation.
Hamilton’s frustration follows controversial battle with Charles Leclerc
The problems began during the opening lap of the Mexico City Grand Prix, when Hamilton and Charles Leclerc fought for the lead through the opening sequence of corners.
Hamilton had made a strong getaway from pole position, but Leclerc quickly emerged as his closest challenger after George Russell lost ground at the start.
The Ferrari drivers ran alongside each other before Leclerc moved ahead at Turn 4, crossing the grass during the manoeuvre. Hamilton lost momentum in the exchange, allowing Max Verstappen to overtake him for second place.
The British driver immediately complained over team radio that he had been pushed out by his own teammate, making clear his dissatisfaction with the opening-lap confrontation.
The incident was subsequently investigated by the stewards, who handed Leclerc a five-second penalty. However, that decision did little to ease Hamilton’s concerns.
After learning of the sanction, Hamilton argued that his teammate was continuing to benefit from running in clean air while the drivers behind faced more difficult race-management conditions. He believed Leclerc should return the positions gained rather than simply serve the time penalty.
The disagreement continued as the gap between the Ferrari drivers increased, making a potential position exchange increasingly difficult.
Ferrari’s Mexico GP situation deteriorates after Leclerc penalty
The consequences became particularly significant during the first round of pit stops.
Leclerc entered the pit lane at the end of lap 27, with Verstappen following him in. Ferrari was required to serve the five-second penalty before beginning the tyre change, allowing the Red Bull driver to depart ahead of the Monegasque.
Hamilton briefly inherited the lead but was brought into the pits on the following lap. He subsequently rejoined in an effective third position, behind Verstappen and Leclerc.
That sequence further complicated Ferrari’s attempt to convert its strong qualifying result into victory. Having started the race with Hamilton on pole and Leclerc third, the Scuderia had seen Verstappen benefit from both the opening-lap battle and the subsequent penalty.
Hamilton’s frustration had also extended to the stewards. In another radio exchange, he accused the officials of effectively handing Leclerc the victory and referred to an agreement discussed during the pre-race drivers’ briefing.
The precise details of that agreement were not established, but the comments demonstrated how strongly Hamilton disagreed with the handling of the first-lap incident.
His latest warning during the red flag therefore followed an extended sequence of complaints about how Ferrari’s race had developed, rather than emerging as an isolated radio message.
Valtteri Bottas crash brings Mexico GP to a halt
The interruption itself followed an incident involving Valtteri Bottas, who crashed into the barriers at Turn 1 on lap 44 of the scheduled 71-lap race.
Race control initially deployed the Safety Car before the situation developed into a red flag on lap 46.
There was some initial concern because Bottas did not immediately climb out of his car, with medical personnel attending the scene. However, an encouraging update indicated that he had given the doctor a thumbs-up gesture.
The FIA subsequently clarified that the red flag had been issued to allow repairs to the damaged barriers, rather than because of concerns about Bottas’ condition.
As the remaining drivers returned to the pit lane, Hamilton delivered his latest warning to Ferrari, adding another moment of frustration to a race that had already featured several difficult exchanges between the British driver and his team.
Hamilton’s radio message highlights Ferrari’s difficult race management
The significance of Hamilton’s latest comments lies partly in the events that preceded them. Ferrari had entered the Mexico City Grand Prix with an excellent opportunity after producing its strongest qualifying performance of the season.
Hamilton secured pole position, while Leclerc qualified third, placing both cars in contention at the front. Yet their opening-lap battle changed the order, allowed Verstappen to move between them and ultimately resulted in a penalty that affected Ferrari’s position during the first pit-stop sequence.
The situation had also attracted criticism from Sky Sports F1 analyst Karun Chandhok, who questioned whether Ferrari had established a sufficiently strict structure for managing its two drivers. He suggested that the team risked missing another opportunity to win despite having what he considered the fastest car.
Against that background, Hamilton’s repeated warning during the red flag reflected the seriousness with which he viewed Ferrari’s difficulties at that stage of the race.
The British driver did not explicitly identify the subject of his latest complaint, but his earlier radio messages had consistently focused on the consequences of the opening-lap incident, his teammate’s advantage and the decisions that followed.
For Ferrari, the race had become considerably more complicated than its qualifying performance suggested. Hamilton’s latest words added to the impression of a difficult afternoon for the Scuderia, with the unresolved consequences of the opening-lap controversy continuing to overshadow an opportunity that had initially appeared highly promising.
With the race suspended for barrier repairs, attention remained on how Ferrari would approach the remaining laps after an eventful Grand Prix in which its drivers’ battle had already played a major role in shaping the contest for victory.
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