The Monza Fallout and Hamilton’s Scathing Critique
The all-new Madring is Formula One’s first new circuit since the introduction of Las Vegas back in 2023. There, during the first practice session, a manhole along the iconic ‘Strip’ in Sin City came loose, destroying Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari.
The Madring, whilst using a number of road car street sections, has no manhole corners, claim the circuit’s designer. Yet Ferrari have more to worry over than a wrecked car after a disastrous home Grand Prix in Monza which yielded the team just 8 points.
Last time out at the Italian Grand Prix, the Scuderia drivers started the Grand Prix alongside each other on the second row of the grid. On the run down to Turn 1, Hamilton attempted an aggressive move on his teammate into the first chicane, which resulted in the drivers coming together on the exit and Hamilton taking to the gravel.
Lewis dropped from P4 to P10 as the field swarmed by, with the British driver claiming over team radio, “Charles pushed me off.” After the race, Hamilton was scathing about Ferrari’s lack of leadership, pointing the finger at team boss Fred Vasseur for failing to reel in the other side of the Ferrari garage.
“Ultimately, it comes from the top,” said Hamilton. “It trickles down the decisions, and so it starts with Fred [Vasseur]. There’s only so much you can say, so much you can push and shout from the mountain top.”
Media Backlash and the Shadow of Fernando Alonso
At the previous race in Zandvoort, much had been made over Ferrari’s failure to intervene in a timely fashion, giving team orders to the drivers who were on different race strategies. Charles Leclerc was asked about whether prior to their home race the team had discussed the various scenarios where the Ferrari drivers might find themselves wheel-to-wheel racing.
He revealed there had been “very many talks” about Zandvoort, but the situation in Monza was significantly different. Senior Italian F1 journalists close to Ferrari were critical of Hamilton’s accusations aimed at the team, which claimed they were not working as a team—i.e., favouring Lewis in the title chase.
Javier Rubio suggested the seven-time world champion was pushing his luck. “Has Lewis Hamilton crossed a line with Ferrari that Ferrari has not usually allowed other drivers to cross in the past?” Rubio questioned. “This weekend, on Saturday, he said, ‘We have to start thinking about prioritising in order to try to catch Antonelli’, and logically he was talking about him because he is ahead of him in the standings.
“But on Sunday he said many things, and among them he pointed at Vasseur, saying that, starting with Vasseur at the top, everything filters down, as if he were asking Vasseur to make decisions that Ferrari has not made. Or that he has to make, because he was saying that the results, if we do the same thing, will always be the same.”
He went on to claim Hamilton had been clever in his criticism, wrapping his comments in some kind of empathy towards the Ferrari management. But Rubio questioned what will happen next. “What is Ferrari going to do now? What is Vasseur going to do? What is Leclerc going to think? If your teammate is already telling you that you are the one who has to lead the team.”
The Italian journalist went on to reflect the tensions caused when Fernando Alonso tried to ‘lead the team’ by calling out the Scuderia management. “At Ferrari, they have never liked this in the past. Remember the problems Fernando Alonso had when he tried to pull the team forward, because a driver wants to motivate, wants to push, wants to improve, and is somewhat of a leader. Ferrari has never liked its drivers putting themselves above the team, being more, with criticism from outside being part of the driver’s game, and what they want is for everything to remain internal,” he explained.
Pressure Mounts on Fred Vasseur
Other sections of the Italian media suggest the spotlight is well and truly now on Fred Vasseur. Daniele Dallera, writing in Corriere della Sera, was stark in his opinion: “His future as boss is unclear,” suggesting pressure is building from above on Vasseur from Ferrari group president John Elkann.
That said, Dallera reveals, ”There is no Plan B beyond the French manager.” Fulvio Solms takes a tougher line, calling for Elkann to begin making the tough decisions for Ferrari, rather than Vasseur. He was also critical of the fact the rules of racing prior to the Grand Prix were not established as Hamilton claims.
The sternest warning came from a veteran F1 writer who is close to Ferrari, Leo Turini. Speaking of Vasseur, he bluntly concluded: “If he doesn’t succeed, we all understand what needs to be done.”
Will Buxton, formerly of the F1 paddock and now IndyCar lead commentator, was also critical of the fact Vasseur had not led discussions over driving standards before Ferrari’s home race. “You don’t discuss, going into the biggest race of the year, how your drivers are going to race one another and how they’re going to deal with one another if they find themselves side by side? I find that odd,” said the English motorsport writer.
“Do they have their head in the game? Do they have the wherewithal to make the killer decision when they absolutely have to make the killer decision? To not even discuss team orders and how you’re going to race each other at Monza when you’ve got that as very front and centre in your mind after recent races, I don’t understand how that wasn’t even a conversation,” Buxton concluded.
All eyes will be on Ferrari this weekend in Madrid, given events which have interfered with the team’s progress over the last two race weekends. Will Hamilton return to the paddock in a more contrite fashion, or will his criticism of the team continue, leading to either his or Fred Vasseur’s downfall?
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