Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc held a direct conversation to address their coming together on the opening lap of the recent Italian Grand Prix. The discussion took place ahead of this weekend's Formula One race in Madrid.
During the incident at Monza, Hamilton was squeezed off the track by Leclerc. At the time, Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, stated, "Charles pushed me off." Leclerc subsequently crashed out of the race later in a separate, unrelated incident. Hamilton went on to finish sixth, a result that was considered poor for Ferrari on their home circuit.
"What is great is that there was no shying away from having a discussion. We sat face to face, just him and me, and talked about it and we were both honest and open and then we quashed it and moved on," Hamilton said. He characterized Leclerc's approach as demonstrating maturity and contributing to a healthy team dynamic that has been built over time.
Hamilton acknowledged that frustrations are inevitable when teammates are competing closely, especially with both drivers aiming for victories and success for the team. "Of course, there are going to be frustrations along the way. And there will be more times where we are close because we are approximate in pace and we both want to win as much as each other and do well for the team, but, yes, it is really positive," he stated.
Ferrari's team principal, Fred Vasseur, was also involved in clearing the air. "I spoke to Fred on Monday and we had clearing out discussions," Hamilton confirmed. "Naturally we are going to have different opinions, but we come together to find a way forward and that is the positive of where we have got to over the past 15 months, when we can have really great communication internally and same with me and Charles."
Regarding the potential need for agreed rules of engagement between drivers, Hamilton indicated that such discussions have not yet occurred due to time constraints. "Right now I am trying to focus on having a better weekend. I am sure at some stage we will discuss how we can be better but we have not had a lot of time. You can't change things in two days."
Despite the recent incidents and the team's performance, Hamilton remains focused on the long-term process at Ferrari. His current deficit to championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes is 76 points with 10 rounds remaining. "Mathematically it is not impossible, but it is the biggest gap I have seen in a long, long time, and at this stage of the year, too," Hamilton commented. "Mercedes are the leaders, out ahead, and doing a fantastic job and we should just focus on doing our best each weekend. My job at Ferrari is a long-term process and not something that will change this weekend. There are a huge amount of moving parts, a lot of people, and a culture that has been there for a long time. Moving pieces are not so easy. It doesn't happen overnight. But we will get there."