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Lewis hamilton rejected his Ferrari boss' suggestion that their drivers lacked "respect" for the team as they threw away a win in Mexico last Sunday. Hamilton secured a record-extending 105th pole position of his glittering career but could not convert it. Team-mate Charles Leclerc pushed past on lap one but went off track, copping a penalty which gifted the win to Max Verstappen. Hamilton was furious and said "serious talks" were needed to sort out Ferrari's rules of engagement on track.
But that has not happened since Mexico, with Leclerc back in Europe after the birth of his daughter, Bianca. The Monegasque is expected to travel to Sao Paulo to race this weekend, but will also miss FP1 with Dino Beganovic taking over his car for the first hour of practice.
Hamilton said: "We haven't really had the time to speak much in depth. We have spoken, and I fully understand my responsibility to the team. Conversations need to be had – we will have those when time permits.
"We had an opportunity to win for the team... We could have easily had a one two, so we definitely have to work towards making sure that doesn't happen again."
As for team principal Frederic Vasseur's accusation of disrespect for Ferrari's 2,000-strong workforce, Hamilton dismissed his boss' dig. He replied: "I think my respect has always been the highest for my team.
"We have so many people working so hard back at the factory – that's why I'm always praising them. That's why I'm always trying to show my appreciation for them and do my absolute utmost to help push the team forward. I feel like I've been a big part of where we are today as a team, which is positive."
Hamilton was criticised by some for so openly denouncing Leclerc's driving, both over the radio during the race and afterwards in the media pen. The seven-time world champion has also been questioned for complaining about the leniency of the five-second time penalty Leclerc received for cutting the track as they duelled for the lead on lap one.
Hamilton, however, insists he was not in the wrong for doing so. He said: " 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.
"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 [beats per minute]. 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 to be silenced. I have never ever been silenced. I have not been asked to not say anything [by the team], and that's just the way it is."
This weekend's race in Brazil will mark Hamilton's 400th Grand Prix start. Since his F1 debut back in 2007, he has won the world championship seven times, taken 106 GP victories, stood on 209 podiums and been on pole position 105 times – all of which are records.
Big moments. Packed grandstands. A championship battle that’s heating up.
When the Formula 1 season delivers like this, watching from home just isn’t the same as being there when the lights go out.
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