Lewis Hamilton comes out swinging after Charles Leclerc clash: “I’m not going to be silenced”

Lewis Hamilton says he agrees with claims that Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc races him harder than other Formula 1 drivers following their clash at the Mexico City Grand Prix. 

Seven-time world champion Hamilton called out Leclerc’s “do or die” approach after the Monegasque overtook his team-mate by cutting a chicane during a feisty opening-lap battle at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. 

Hamilton dropped behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who went on to win the race, while Leclerc finished fourth after being handed a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. 

After the race, Hamilton argued the fight had cost Ferrari a victory and potential one-two finish. 

When asked if the notion that Leclerc races him harder than other drivers is something he has also noticed, Hamilton told media including Motorsport.com in Brazil:“Yes. I see what you see. 

“In Singapore, he was fully on the inside into Turn 1, he had won the lead, and he backed off. It was definitely different.

"But I mean, if you look at the team-mates, it was the same with Sebastian [Vettel]. It was the same with Carlos [Sainz].” 

Hamilton demanded “serious talks” at Ferrari after the incident and stands by his comments, revealing he is “still frustrated” about what happened. 

"Naturally I was frustrated, and I'm still frustrated,” the 41-year-old Briton said. 

"So, conversations need to be had. We will have those when the time permits. We had an opportunity to win for the team. The team has done such an amazing job in bringing upgrades this year and I think they've done an incredible job. 

"We've scored more points than any other team in the last three or four races. We could have easily had a one-two, so we definitely have to work towards making sure that doesn't happen again.”

Hamilton has been criticised in some quarters, with Ralf Schumacher accusing him of acting like famous American gangster Al Capone amid a serious of furious radio messaged aimed at the Ferrari pit wall. 

But Hamilton insisted he does not “really care” how outsiders feel about what he said and insisted he is “not going to be silenced”. 

"I don't really care how everyone feels about what I've said. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I say how I feel in the moment,” Hamilton responded. 

"I did see something that someone was saying that the things that I'm saying are calculated, and I just want to combat that with the fact that when you're in the race, your heart rate is like 170. 

“You're driving 200 miles an hour. You don't have time to be calculated in what you're saying and thinking about what the media are going to write about, you don't think about that.

"Of course, there's some times you say things and maybe you might regret it afterwards, but I don't, and I'm never going to apologise for being authentic and real. I'm not going be silenced. I've never ever been silenced. I have not been asked to not say anything [by the team], and that's just the way it is."

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is set to sit down with his drivers for crunch talks on Friday in Brazil.