Ferrari faces an important test in the relationship between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, following the controversy at the Dutch Grand Prix in Formula 1. For journalist Will Buxton, the episode in Zandvoort revealed a difficulty that the team will need to resolve.
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Both drivers ended up frustrated with the strategy adopted by the team, especially Hamilton, who felt that the delay in the team asking Leclerc to let the seven-time champion pass cost the Brit a possible P3. Hamilton was on a different strategy and had a superior pace at that moment, but Ferrari did not immediately order the position swap.
Leclerc was only called to the pits two laps later, while Hamilton remained stuck behind his teammate on a circuit where overtaking is difficult. On the radio, the seven-time champion reacted with irony: “Great way to lose time, good job.”
On the Up to Speed podcast, Buxton assessed that the situation represents ‘the first real test’ of coexistence between the two drivers: “You can’t please both. In an F1 team, one driver will be upset and the other will be happy. That’s how it works, especially in situations like this,” he said.
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The journalist also highlighted the difference in weight between the two drivers within Ferrari and Hamilton’s experience with Mercedes: “Lewis has the experience of a team that executes immediately at Mercedes, and wants that championship-winning mentality at Ferrari,” Buxton added, questioning whether the problem lies with the Italian team or the relationship between the drivers.
Hamilton, currently third in the championship and 59 points behind Kimi Antonelli, later acknowledged that his reaction on the radio did not represent ‘the best version of himself’. For Buxton, however, Ferrari needs to define how it intends to handle similar situations.
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