Going into this weekend’s São Paulo Grand Prix, all indications are that the status quo at Ferrari will no longer suffice for Lewis Hamilton if the Scuderia’s ambition to return their first drivers’ F1 championship since 2007 is to be taken seriously. This year’s drivers’ title is already decided with Kimi Antonelli triumphant at the last round in Mexico and Ferrari are already looking toward next season where they are hopeful of genuinely being in the mix against the Italian and Mercedes. However, after Hamilton and his teammate Charles Leclerc clashed at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the British driver clearly believes that a title tilt in 2027 might be at risk, as the team apparently vacillates on how it manages having two number one drivers, both determined to be the top dog around which Ferrari should coalesce.
In Mexico with Leclerc attempting to pass Hamilton, the move cost them both, Leclerc with a penalty and Hamilton in going wide and being passed by Max Verstappen who went on to win. The outcome denied Ferrari what would have been a likely victory and potentially a one-two. The team principal, Fred Vasseur, condemned the incident as demonstrating a lack of respect for the team and is expected to hold a crunch meeting with them both at Interlagos on Friday.
It was not the first time this season the two Ferrari drivers have been uncompromising with one another. At Zandvoort Hamilton was frustrated when, on a different tyre strategy, Leclerc did not pit when first instructed to do so by the team in order to let the British driver past. A race later at Monza, Hamilton went down the inside of Leclerc into the first chicane and was squeezed wide by his teammate into the gravel.
The notable difference after Mexico was Hamilton’s reaction. Previously he has been politic in stating they would deal with the incidents behind closed doors – “offline” as he refers to it. After Mexico he publicly criticised Leclerc and before the race in Brazil he was more bullish, refusing to be silenced in his criticism and making his position clear.
I’m here to win.” That he is talking about it publicly is indicative of the seriousness of the situation. The team have no formal rules of engagement between the two and pointedly neither is considered the top driver in the way that Verstappen clearly is at Red Bull. Last year with the team struggling it was irrelevant.
This year the problem has been brought sharply into focus. With a title at stake in the future it could be the difference between winning and losing but this is far from a straightforward situation. Hamilton came to Ferrari on the back of enjoying de facto number one status at Mercedes, pretty much since Nico Rosberg retired after the 2016 season.
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