Karun Chandhok has criticised Ferrari’s management of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc during the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, arguing that the team risks missing another victory despite having what he considers the fastest car. The Sky Sports F1 analyst believes the absence of a sufficiently strict structure governing the two drivers has contributed to Ferrari’s difficulties, with the opening-lap controversy threatening to undermine another promising race.
His assessment came after a turbulent first half of the Mexican Grand Prix, during which Hamilton and Leclerc battled for the lead, the Monegasque received a five-second penalty and Max Verstappen gained the advantage during the first pit-stop sequence. For Chandhok, the situation highlighted a problem extending beyond the performance of the SF-26: Ferrari’s ability to manage two competitive drivers in pursuit of a collective result.
Karun Chandhok questions Ferrari’s ability to convert the fastest car into victory
Speaking during Sky Sports F1’s coverage, Chandhok suggested that Ferrari was facing a familiar situation for the second consecutive Grand Prix weekend.
“It feels like the second weekend in a row when Ferrari had the fastest car and are not going to win the race,” the former Formula 1 driver observed.
The remark reflected his belief that the Italian team had possessed enough performance to challenge for victory but was again struggling to translate that competitiveness into the result its car appeared capable of delivering.
Ferrari had demonstrated impressive speed during the previous United States Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc finishing second after a strong race at Austin. The Mexican weekend offered another opportunity after Lewis Hamilton secured pole position and his teammate qualified third.
However, Chandhok’s criticism was not directed at the drivers’ outright pace or the technical competitiveness of the SF-26. Instead, he identified the way Ferrari was organising its two-driver operation as the central issue.
“By not playing the team game properly and not creating a strict structure around the two drivers, they’re again not going to win a grand prix.”
His comments represented a clear criticism of Ferrari’s management approach, suggesting that greater coordination between Hamilton and Leclerc could have helped the team protect its competitive advantage.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc battle complicates Ferrari’s Mexico GP
Ferrari’s difficulties began almost immediately after the start of the 71-lap race. Hamilton made a strong getaway from pole position, but Leclerc quickly emerged as his closest challenger after George Russell lost ground.
The Ferrari teammates ran alongside each other through the opening corners before Leclerc moved ahead at Turn 4. The Monegasque crossed the grass during the manoeuvre, while Hamilton lost momentum and was subsequently overtaken by Verstappen.
The sequence transformed Ferrari’s promising starting positions into a more complicated situation. Instead of establishing both cars ahead of Red Bull, the Scuderia found its drivers separated by Verstappen, who had benefited from their confrontation.
Hamilton expressed frustration over team radio, complaining that he had been pushed out by his teammate. The stewards subsequently investigated the incident and imposed a five-second penalty on Leclerc.
The seven-time world champion remained dissatisfied with that decision. He argued that the penalty did not fully compensate for the advantage Leclerc gained by running in clean air and maintained that his teammate should return the positions.
The disagreement continued as the gap between the Ferrari drivers increased, making a potential exchange of positions progressively more difficult.
Leclerc’s penalty allows Max Verstappen to gain the advantage
The consequences of the opening-lap incident became particularly significant during the first pit-stop sequence.
Leclerc and Verstappen entered the pit lane at the end of lap 27, with the Ferrari driver required to serve his five-second penalty before the team could change his tyres. That additional delay allowed Verstappen to leave the pits ahead.
Hamilton temporarily inherited the race lead before Ferrari brought him in on the following lap. The British driver subsequently rejoined in an effective third position, behind Verstappen and Leclerc.
For Ferrari, the sequence demonstrated how an incident between its own drivers had affected the wider contest against Red Bull. Leclerc had led the opening stint, but the penalty allowed Verstappen to gain track position during the stops.
It was precisely this broader consequence that formed the basis of Chandhok’s criticism. In his assessment, the team had failed to establish the necessary framework for its drivers to work together effectively when both were competing near the front.
Ferrari’s driver management faces scrutiny after Mexico controversy
Chandhok’s comments raise an important distinction between allowing teammates to race and managing the consequences of their battles for the team’s overall result.
Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc had legitimate ambitions to win the Mexico City Grand Prix. Hamilton had secured pole position, while Leclerc demonstrated sufficient pace to challenge for the lead from third on the grid.
However, their opening-lap confrontation created an opportunity for Verstappen, while the subsequent penalty further complicated Ferrari’s position. The disagreement also continued over team radio, with Hamilton openly questioning the stewards’ handling of the incident.
Chandhok believes a stricter structure around the two drivers could help prevent such situations from damaging Ferrari’s chances. His criticism suggests that the team needs greater coordination when its cars are both in contention, particularly when a direct rival stands to benefit from an internal battle.
That remains the Sky Sports F1 analyst’s assessment rather than confirmation that Ferrari had failed to implement a particular instruction. The precise agreements governing Hamilton and Leclerc’s racing, if any, have not been established.
Ferrari risks another missed opportunity despite SF-26 progress
The most frustrating aspect of the situation for Ferrari is the contrast between its increasingly competitive car and the uncertainty surrounding its ability to convert that pace into victories.
At Austin, Leclerc finished second after the SF-26 demonstrated strong race performance. In Mexico, Hamilton’s pole position and Leclerc’s third place offered another encouraging indication that the team could compete at the front.
Yet the opening-lap battle and its consequences have complicated what initially appeared to be one of Ferrari’s strongest opportunities of the season.
Chandhok’s warning is therefore particularly pointed. He believes Ferrari may be approaching a second consecutive Grand Prix in which the fastest car, in his assessment, fails to deliver victory because the team has not managed its drivers effectively enough.
His prediction does not establish the eventual race outcome, but it places attention firmly on Ferrari’s leadership and decision-making. With Max Verstappen having gained the advantage during the first stops, the Scuderia faces the possibility that a race defined by the strength of its car could instead be remembered for the consequences of its drivers’ opening-lap confrontation.
For Ferrari, the challenge is no longer simply to produce a car capable of winning. As Chandhok’s criticism underlines, the team must also find a way to ensure that the competitiveness of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc translates into the strongest possible result when both drivers are fighting at the front.
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