Lewis Hamilton has demanded "serious talks" with Ferrari after being left furious by an opening-lap incident with team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton started the Mexico City Grand Prix from pole position but fell to third by the exit of Turn 5. Leclerc gained a position on the Briton after going across the grass following a moment while the pair were side-by-side, resulting in a five-second time penalty.
The incident with Leclerc also allowed Max Verstappen to pass Hamilton, with the Dutchman going on to claim the race win after moving ahead of the Monegasque while he served his penalty.
Hamilton was furious with the penalty but did at least recover to finish second. He maximised a race restart following a red flag and overtook Leclerc, although he had no answer to Verstappen.
Despite the 41-year-old's annoyance, his immediate thoughts after the race were on Kimi Antonelli, who finished third and was crowned 2026 F1 world champion.
"Firstly, look at this crowd. We have to acknowledge them," said Hamilton.
"A huge congratulations to Kimi and the Mercedes team. It’s great to see them all up here celebrating their success.
"Youngest world champion ever, it’s pretty phenomenal, and I’m so grateful to be in the race to witness it.
"Tough day. I think we had the pace to win today, but it wasn't meant to be. We'll take it offline and see what we can do in the background."
Lewis Hamilton demands Ferrari answers after latest clash
While Hamilton was delighted for his Mercedes replacement, his words on the incident with Leclerc were clear: he was furious.
Hamilton was perplexed as to why it was only a five-second time penalty and not a 10-second punishment, and declared that the clash had cost him the win.
Asked for his thoughts on Leclerc's penalty, Hamilton responded: "In the drivers’ briefing, we discussed as soon as you go off in Turn 1, you have to give the position back. Last year I got a 10-second penalty for that same move that he did.
"But ultimately, it was that that lost us the win today. I think we have to have some serious talks behind the scenes, for sure.
"But the good thing is the team are working really hard. We’ve really improved our car. It’s great to be here, and we were on the old engine this weekend as well.
"Good results, good points. Shame we didn’t get a win, but some you win, some you lose."
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