Former F1 driver turned broadcaster Martin Brundle has claimed that Lewis Hamilton was sending a message to Italy with one of the comments he made over the team radio at the Mexican Grand Prix.

After another on-track scuffle with teammate Charles Leclerc that he felt cost him the victory in Mexico City, Hamilton was naturally furious post-race.

Speaking to the media, the seven-time world champion questioned Leclerc's mentality and demanded 'serious' talks with his teammate and boss to try and sort out the mess that had been created.

During the race, Hamilton had also fumed on his radio, telling the team during a red flag: "We've got big problems. We've got big, big problems."

Brundle says Hamilton making play to be Ferrari No. 1

Hamilton doubled down on his frustration with his teammate ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, claiming that Leclerc races him differently compared to how he races others on the grid.

Now, Brundle has had his say, claiming that Hamilton sees an opportunity to stake his claim to be Ferrari's number one driver, and that his radio message in Mexico was not for his engineer, but the top brass back in Italy.

"I seem to remember him and Nico running into each other quite dramatically on a few occasions, having quite a spat," Brundle said live on Sky Sports in Sao Paulo.

"It's inevitable. I stand by what I said. I think Lewis has realised there's a really good platform to carve himself out more of a No.1 spot there, more clout in that situation. He's not going to let that go.

"And that comment walking into the car, or when he got out of the car during the red flag of, 'we've got big problems here, big problems'. That wasn't to anybody around in Mexico. That was to some people in Italy."

Business as usual at Ferrari

If Hamilton's radio comments were aimed at those back in Italy, it appears the message has fallen on deaf ears.

Speaking at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Friday, Fred Vasseur confirmed that he had held a meeting with the two drivers, but that it was business as usual in terms of Hamilton and Leclerc's rules of engagement moving forward.

"The guidelines are still the same. They accumulated perhaps a bit of frustration because they are starting each weekend side by side, and you have a kind of accumulation of fact," Vasseur told the media in Sao Paulo.

"But at the end of the day, the guideline is always the same - it's that they need to respect each other. They are two competitors with the fighting spirit for sure, but they need to have a respect for the other one.

"But mainly and firstly, they need to respect the brand, the team, the people working at home, the people working at the on track. I think we are putting a lot of effort on this, and the message was clear and will stay clear."