Juan Pablo Montoya defended an intervention by Ferrari management after the incident between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the Formula 1 Italian GP. For the Colombian, the two drivers need to meet with the team’s leadership to discuss what happened.
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The dispute happened on the first lap in Monza, when Hamilton tried to gain position on the inside of his teammate. The Brit ended up on the outside at the second corner and went off into the runoff area, while Leclerc did not leave enough space for the Ferrari driver.
In an appearance on F1 TV, Montoya said the conversation should not only involve the team principal, Frederic Vasseur, but also members of Ferrari’s top management: “Both need to go to Maranello this week and sit down for a proper conversation,” he said.
The former F1 driver also questioned Leclerc’s attitude in treating Hamilton like any other opponent during the dispute: “Charles came out and said: ‘I raced Lewis like I would have raced anyone else.’ But he is your teammate, and you need to respect your teammate and respect the team,” Montoya argued.
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Hamilton, in turn, defended the need to establish clear rules for internal battles. In Monza, the Brit said: “I don’t race dirty. I have always raced clean and fair and always left space.” Hamilton added that he has tried to be respectful since arriving at Ferrari and avoided putting the team at risk, but emphasized that decisions made on the other side should be discussed with Vasseur.
Montoya, therefore, considers that the episode requires a direct conversation between the two drivers and Ferrari leadership. The team will have the opportunity to react already next weekend, at the Spanish GP, which will be held on the new circuit built in Madrid.
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