Fredéric Vasseur stated that Ferrari needs to review its stance on team orders. After the incident between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who collided on the first lap of the Italian GP last Sunday (6), the team principal admitted that the time has come to discuss how to manage the internal rivalry.
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Vasseur acknowledged that the episode “was not good for the team,” but maintained the opinion that allowing Hamilton and Leclerc to race freely had been the right decision up to that point. When talking about the incident, he cited the McLaren situation in 2025: before the 2025 Italian GP, Piastri had a 34-point lead over Lando Norris, his teammate. The Australian, however, lost ground in the final stretch of the championship and finished third, while Norris took the title, just two points ahead of Verstappen.
In this process, McLaren faced a series of poor results and made important decisions that contributed to Piastri’s decline, including the controversial position swap in Monza. Vasseur’s reading is that Ferrari needs to avoid a hasty choice that could compromise its championship chances.
Therefore, the Frenchman now admits that the discussion about a new approach is open. “Certainly, at some point you have to make a decision, but I think it was too early to make a decision before Monza,” he said. “Now we have time to talk with the guys.”
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The issue had already been raised internally. Hamilton had previously requested written engagement rules for Ferrari, while Leclerc questioned who was fueling the narrative of a rivalry between the two drivers.
After the Italian GP, Vasseur had not yet actually spoken with either of the two about the accident. According to the manager, he spoke with Hamilton “for two seconds” and “not at all with Charles.” “I prefer to talk first with them and not with you,” he told the press present.
The situation in the championship also helps explain why Ferrari now needs to evaluate its priorities. Hamilton is 36 points ahead of Leclerc in the standings. The two, however, are far from leader Kimi Antonelli: Hamilton is 76 points behind, while there are still a maximum of 258 points available in the rest of the season.
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