Charles Leclerc hit with penalty after Mexico City GP clash with Lewis Hamilton

Charles Leclerc was hit with a five-second time penalty following an opening-lap skirmish with Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

With Hamilton on pole position and Leclerc starting third, both drivers made strong starts on the longest run into a Turn 1 on the F1 calendar, emerging first and second out of the opening corner.

Leclerc then started to challenge Hamilton as the lap unfolded early on before trying to make a move around the outside into the sharp left-hander at Turn 4.

Leclerc, though, had to leave the track and returned with the lead, whilst Hamilton, who was also forced off, dropped to third behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Hamilton immediately suggested that Leclerc should give the place back, but despite pre-race guidelines from the stewards that they would look unfavourably on such an incident on the opening lap, the Monégasque continued on.

It was not until lap 13 that the stewards finally made their call, opting to give Leclerc a five-second penalty. That caught Verstappen by surprise as over the radio he said: "Ha! I thought all the new penalties were 10."

Hamilton was also left far from impressed as he said: "The problem with a five-second penalty is that he's got clean air. He doesn't have to manage like the rest of us. Should just give the positions back."

In a later frustrated message from the seven-time F1 champion, he said: "The stewards are basically handing Charles this win. We agreed, in the drivers' briefing."