Karun Chandhok gives blunt one-word verdict on Charles Leclerc and Ferrari

Here's the thing, as Crash.net reports, Charles Leclerc needs to dial back his aggression when racing his Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton. That is the straightforward verdict from Karun Chandhok following a chaotic opening lap at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Let's look at what actually happened on that wild first lap. Leclerc lunged around the outside of Turn 4, cut the corner to grab the lead, and triggered a mess that saw Hamilton drop behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen as well. That little move earned Leclerc a five-second time penalty. Max Verstappen swept through to take the victory ahead of Hamilton, while Leclerc missed the podium entirely in fourth place.

Unsurprisingly, Lewis Hamilton was furious after the chequered flag. The seven-time world champion demanded serious talks within Ferrari, arguing that their scrap cost the squad a guaranteed win and a possible one-two finish. Hamilton didn't hold back, accusing Leclerc of adopting a 'do or die' mentality on the track.

When Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft put the tough question on the latest F1 Show podcast and asked if Leclerc is the problem, Karun Chandhok didn't hesitate. His response was a single, telling word: "Yes."

Chandhok pointed out that this is not an isolated incident, noting that we have now witnessed two separate occasions where Leclerc's over-eagerness has hurt both Hamilton and the wider team. He explained that while the intense adrenaline of a Grand Prix start—with heart rates pushing into the 170s—forces drivers to rely purely on raw racer's instincts rather than clear, calculated thought, Leclerc still needs to find a calmer way to race his garage neighbour. Because backing off does not come naturally to him, Chandhok argues that the team itself must step in and force that change in perspective.

Meanwhile, Nico Rosberg piled on the criticism. The 2016 world champion also laid into Leclerc for the wheel-to-wheel drama, pointing out that the blame consistently lands on the Monegasque driver rather than his British team-mate after incidents in places like Monza and now Mexico.