Ferrari under scrutiny after Monza as Ralf Schumacher questions team spirit – Ferrari’s post-Monza tensions have prompted former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher to question the team’s unity, with Lewis Hamilton’s public criticism of race strategy and his clash with Charles Leclerc adding to concerns about the atmosphere inside the Scuderia.
Ferrari’s home race ended with Hamilton finishing sixth and Leclerc further up the order, but the result was overshadowed by the incident between the two teammates shortly after the start.
Hamilton was forced onto the gravel after the two Ferraris came together, costing him several positions. The incident followed a difficult period in which Hamilton has also been increasingly open about disagreements with Ferrari’s strategic decisions.
Speaking on Sky’s Backstage Pit Lane podcast, Schumacher argued that the current situation points towards a lack of cohesion within the team.
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Schumacher sees growing tensions at Ferrari
“If you look at Lewis’s (Hamilton’s, ed.) interviews in particular, the way the drivers interact on the track and with the team off the track, then you shouldn’t be surprised: it’s not a united front,” Schumacher said.
“They fight against each other, they insult each other on the radio, then there are blame games after the race.”
The German believes Ferrari’s current difficulties are particularly noticeable when compared with the internal culture during the period when his brother Michael Schumacher was driving for the Italian team.
According to Ralf Schumacher, disagreements certainly existed during that era, but they were generally dealt with away from the public spotlight.
“Things weren’t everything easy either, but these accusations never arose. It was always handled professionally. And if there was anything to be clarified, it was done internally.”
Schumacher, who was working in Monza as a television pundit, believes that difference is significant for Ferrari.
“For us it’s entertaining, but I think the biggest problem Ferrari currently has is that there’s absolutely no team spirit.”
Hamilton and Leclerc clash at Ferrari’s home race
The criticism comes after an especially awkward opening to Ferrari’s Italian Grand Prix.
Hamilton and Leclerc made contact shortly after the start, with Hamilton forced onto the gravel and losing several positions. The incident immediately put the two teammates under scrutiny and added another layer to an already complicated dynamic between Ferrari’s leading drivers.
Hamilton has also become increasingly vocal about strategic decisions during his first season competing for Ferrari.
That openness has brought greater attention to the relationship between the seven-time world champion and the team around him, particularly as Ferrari continues to pursue stronger results.
Schumacher believes Hamilton himself has a role to play in the situation.
Schumacher says Hamilton must also accept responsibility
“There’s one thing you should never do when you come to Ferrari. That’s also a small mistake: Ferrari is above everything else. Then come the protagonists, including the drivers.”
The former Jordan, Williams and Toyota driver nevertheless believes Hamilton has made significant progress within the Ferrari organisation.
Schumacher described his sporting improvement as “tremendous” and claimed Hamilton now has considerable support from the team.
“He now has the team more behind him, almost more than Charles. He’s achieved that, and it’s a huge success he can claim.”
Schumacher also believes Hamilton still has an opportunity to establish the kind of influence and team cohesion that his brother enjoyed during Ferrari’s most successful period.
“Now he has the chance to achieve exactly the same thing with the team next year as Michael did. Perhaps even this year; theoretically, he has the chance.”
Hamilton openly questions Ferrari strategy
Hamilton’s comments after Monza provide another example of the differences between the driver’s thinking and Ferrari’s race management.
The Briton openly questioned the team’s tyre strategy, arguing that Ferrari could have taken a different approach.
“I felt we should have started on the hard tires and then switched to mediums. That would have given us more freedom during the pit stop because we would have been further back and had more overtaking opportunities.”
Such comments are not necessarily evidence of a breakdown between Hamilton and Ferrari, but they illustrate the difficult balance the team must manage.
Ferrari needs both drivers working together while also giving Hamilton time to establish himself within a new environment. With the championship battle continuing, Schumacher’s warning about team spirit highlights an issue that could become increasingly important if Ferrari is to challenge consistently at the front.
For Hamilton, the challenge is equally clear: continue building his influence within Ferrari without allowing disagreements over strategy or incidents with Leclerc to undermine the team’s collective ambitions.
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