The Monza Grand Prix did not go as Ferrari had hoped, with tensions briefly rising after a heavy on-track clash between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
Starting from the second row, the pair fought intensely at the start. Hamilton ended up in the gravel after an ambitious move from his team-mate, before recovering to finish a disappointing sixth. Leclerc then retired a few laps later after a violent crash.
The incident clearly frustrated the seven-time world champion, who compared Ferrari’s handling of its drivers with the structure he knew at Mercedes. “When I was at Mercedes, we had rules of conduct written down in black and white. There may have been a few incidents between Nico Rosberg and me but most of the time, things went well. At Ferrari, there are currently no rules and I think that has to change.”
“We have a superb relationship with Lewis and that will not change”
A week later, both men moved to calm the situation. Leclerc, first, accepted his share of responsibility. “An internal code at Ferrari? Whether it is written or not, there is always a code in a team. Clearly, what I did at Monza is not part of the code. We have already discussed it with Lewis. I told him I could have slowed down and made sure not to put my car in that position. It is not normal for it to end like that between us. But that is part of motorsport. The motivation to do well is huge. Sometimes you have to know how to manage that motivation so it does not become too much. Everything went well with Lewis, we have a superb relationship and that will not change.”
Hamilton echoed that message. “We have a good relationship with Charles. I am above all happy that he is in good health and able to help us challenge Mercedes this weekend. We have talked a lot about communication and execution. But the communication at Ferrari is very good.”