Lewis Hamilton criticized his teammate Charles Leclerc yesterday, Sunday, after their first-lap contact dashed Ferrari's hopes of achieving first and second place in the Mexican Grand Prix, in the Formula 1 World Championship, and said that it is difficult when "your teammate is working against you." Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, started from first place, but came under pressure from Leclerc in the first turns, causing the duo to veer off the track at turn four.
Leclerc returned to the front and maintained his position, while Red Bull driver Max Verstappen took advantage of the opportunity to be between the two Ferrari cars. Hamilton finished the race in second place behind winner Verstappen, while Leclerc finished fourth after being fined by adding five seconds to his time for taking advantage of going off the track. Kimi Antonelli finished third to clinch the drivers' title.
The Briton told reporters: “We had the car that enabled us to easily occupy first and second places, but because of the first turns, this opportunity was squandered. “After that, we basically handed the win to Max.”
He added: “We do not have rules of engagement, and I do not know whether that will change anything on Charles’s part or not. “We just have to find a solution, but certainly something has to change.” Hamilton pointed out that responsibility is not limited to the drivers only, but extends to the entire team. He said: “Working as a team is part of our mission, and part of our contract. We have to work as a team, which we could have done easily today. When your colleague works against you, and then you lose your positions in this way, it definitely becomes difficult.” Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur shared Hamilton's frustration.
“When you're in first and second at Turn 4, you don't think you're not going to win the race,” Vasseur said. “They are not racing for themselves, but for the team.” He refused to comment further on the incident, saying that he wanted to talk to the drivers first and "the matter will be resolved tomorrow." Leclerc admitted that he blocked the track and was expecting a penalty, but he said that the situation became complicated after Verstappen sneaked between the two Ferrari cars. The driver from Monaco said: “When talking to the team, I did not get really clear reactions. “I think the situation was complex enough to justify me keeping the position.”
Veteran American tennis star Venus Williams confirmed that she still has the motivation to continue her career on the tennis courts, noting that her commitment to training and discipline are the main factors behind her continuing to compete, despite her advanced age.
Williams said that she approaches each match with the same approach she has been accustomed to throughout her career, stressing that she is keen to prepare in the best way possible before going on the field.
Williams added, during a press conference before her participation in the Hong Kong tournament: “I deal with things the same way I have always done, through training and discipline in every match.”
Williams, who has won seven Grand Slam titles, stayed away from competition for more than a year, after participating in the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments in March 2024, before returning to the field in July 2025, after she obtained a wild card to participate in the Washington tournament.
The American player began her comeback by defeating her compatriot Peyton Stearns in the first round, but she has not achieved any victory in the singles competitions since then, after losing her last three matches in the 2025 season, and she also suffered 13 consecutive defeats during the year 2026.
Williams, 46 years old, is preparing to participate in her fourteenth and final tournament during the 2026 season, when she competes in the Hong Kong Championship.
In the first round, the American player will meet her compatriot Marie Stojana, 23 years old, in a confrontation that will be the first between them, and represents the last chance for Williams to end the season with at least one victory in the singles competitions.
Arsenal proved, by defeating Liverpool at Anfield, that it now possesses the elements of a team capable of competing for the English Premier League title, after it demonstrated a combination of technical quality, defensive solidity, and the ability to deal with the most difficult match conditions, which are attributes that were not present to the same extent in previous versions of the team under the leadership of different coaches.
The credit for this transformation is due to the work done by Spanish coach Mikel Arteta, according to the British newspaper The Telegraph, who succeeded in building a team with multiple options that can impose its style through possession and perfect passes, and also has the ability to resort to harsher methods and rely on organized defense when the match dictates that.
Arsenal showed both sides against Liverpool, as it imposed control over the ball during the first twenty minutes thanks to smart moves and quick passes, before taking the lead and switching to organized defence, retreating to its areas, closing spaces, winning tackles, and dealing with constant pressure from the home team.
The result was remarkable, as the match ended without Liverpool being able to score a single shot on goal, in a precedent that had never happened before in a Premier League match at Anfield.
The match was not the most enjoyable from a technical standpoint for a neutral observer, and it witnessed some situations that reflected the Arsenal players’ reliance on what is known in football as the “dark arts,” by exaggerating their falls upon contact, especially defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and Ezri Konsa, with the aim of buying time and absorbing the opponent’s pressure.
But Arsenal realizes that playing in an open style at Anfield does not guarantee success, after paying the price for that in previous confrontations, most notably losing 1-5 in February 2014, 0-4 in August 2017, 1-5 in December 2018, then 0-4 in November 2021. The current team appears more mature and solid than those versions, after it has come to realize The importance of protecting his goal and relying on his defensive strength in big matches.
This solidity is even more evident in the absence of defender William Saliba due to injury, as Konsa succeeded in replacing him effectively, along with Gabriel and Declan Rice, while goalkeeper David Raya forms an essential element in a defensive system that has become among the strongest in England.
Arsenal kept a clean sheet in six of the nine matches it played in the league this season, and only conceded five goals, three of which came in an exceptional match against Brighton, who presented a strong attacking performance.
Against Liverpool, Konsa, Gabriel and Rice provided numbers that reflect the amount of defensive work they did, after they executed 14 ball clearances, won eight successful tackles, and regained possession on nine occasions. Konsa was at the forefront of the brilliant performances, after he succeeded in snatching the ball from Liverpool's attackers and dealing with crosses, while Rice gave an exceptional performance in which he strengthened his pivotal role in protecting the back line.
Despite the criticism that may affect the winning style, Arsenal is no longer concerned with satisfying fans as much as it is concerned with achieving results. During the 22-year era of French coach Arsene Wenger, the team was famous for its elegant attacking style, but it was not always able to convert its technical superiority into victories in major confrontations. Today, it has become more effective, even if this sometimes comes at the expense of the aesthetics of performance.
The numbers reveal an additional development in the team’s character away from home, as it succeeded in improving its results compared to last season in four of its five away matches this season. Arsenal scored only four points from its matches against Aston Villa, Sunderland, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool during last season, but it collected 12 points from the same matches this season.
These indicators reinforce the image of a team that has become more mature and able to adapt to the requirements of the competition, whether it needs to gain possession and create opportunities or to retreat, defend, and rely on physical confrontations. Regardless of the style the opponent chooses, it seems that Arteta has succeeded in building a team that has the necessary tools to deal with him, in a step that confirms that Arsenal is no longer just a team that plays beautiful football, but has become a team that knows how to win as well.
