Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli grew to become Method 1’s youngest world champion by ending third on the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix.
Purple Bull’s Max Verstappen received the race, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton ending second.
Hamilton was sad along with his team-mate Charles Leclerc and mentioned Ferrari “must have some critical talks behind closed doorways” after combating between their two drivers price them victory in Mexico.
BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson solutions your newest questions.
McLaren has its ‘papaya’ guidelines, is it now time for Ferrari to introduce its ‘Maranello’ guidelines? – John
The battle between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc on the opening lap in Mexico, and the fall-out from it, supplied an ideal illustration of the issues that may come up when a workforce has two high drivers of equal standing.
Hamilton’s level after the race was that Ferrari would have received the race – in all probability received a one-two – if the pair had labored collectively on that first lap.
“When your team-mate works towards you and then you definitely lose positions like that, it is undoubtedly robust,” he mentioned.
Crew boss Frederic Vasseur aldo bemoaned the lack of a possible one-two, admitting he was “annoyed”.
Leclerc argued that it takes two to tango. “I might be additionally sad with how a lot he pushed me off observe out of Flip One,” he mentioned, “however it’s racing. When you find yourself combating for a win it’s the means it ought to be.”
Leclerc added: “On the finish we each did a mistake going into Flip 4. It isn’t like we had contact in anyway. We each went straight and that gave the chance for Max to overhaul. So I do not suppose it ought to be that a lot of a speaking level.”
Clearly there’s a downside right here. It isn’t the primary time the Ferrari drivers’ competing priorities have brought about points this yr, and Vasseur has but to discover a approach to handle it successfully, and get the drivers to purchase into what he decides.
On this case, the 2 drivers are expressing two utterly totally different, however legitimate, factors of view.
Hamilton is considering of the workforce end result – which conveniently additionally meant a win for him – Leclerc primarily about the truth that they’re allowed to race for the win.
The issue is that the workforce’s end result was compromised and a win thrown away.
Had Verstappen not handed Hamilton as a consequence of the incident, Leclerc might have given the place again by Flip 11 as was required by the foundations.
However as soon as Verstappen was between them, persevering with within the lead was Leclerc’s solely practical choice.
It is a actually tough scenario for Vasseur to deal with.
The workforce needs to win the race as first precedence, however the identical applies to every particular person driver. Generally these two competing priorities conflict.
And if Ferrari ever get themselves a automobile that may compete for the title, it’s going to solely get more durable, as a result of the stakes for each drivers are then a lot increased.
McLaren have finished higher at dealing with this, and Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have been extra acquiescent, however even their strategy has led them into issues, as occurred numerous occasions final yr. And typically the drivers ignore it, as with the crash between the 2 drivers within the dash in Singapore.
Vasseur’s downside is that if he had requested the drivers to not race on the primary lap on Sunday, he would have been basically asking Leclerc at hand Hamilton a win. And the way do you retain an formidable driver comfortable in that scenario?
One additionally has to ask whether or not, if the conditions have been reversed, Hamilton would settle for the identical request.
Hamilton revealed after the race that Ferrari “haven’t got guidelines of engagement, and whether or not or not that might change something from Charles’ aspect, I do not know”.
McLaren have guidelines of engagement. One is to not crash into one another. That is not what occurred right here. One other is that the workforce end result comes first. However it’s very arduous to give you particular guidelines that might cope with a reside racing scenario resembling this.
One might argue all day in regards to the rights and wrongs and who might have finished what to engineer a greater consequence.
As Hamilton mentioned: “We have simply received to determine. However one thing wants to vary for positive.”
