Martin Brundle believes Ferrari faces an ongoing problem managing Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc after their latest on-track confrontation at the Mexican Grand Prix, warning that another disagreement between the team-mates is only a matter of time. The former Formula 1 driver expects the Scuderia to promise improvements before the Brazilian Grand Prix, but doubts those assurances will prevent another incident.
The relationship between Hamilton and Leclerc has come under increasing scrutiny during the 2026 season, with the pair involved in several tense moments on track. Their latest confrontation in Mexico has raised further questions about Ferrari’s ability to manage two highly competitive drivers pursuing their own ambitions.
Brundle believes the problem goes beyond a single racing incident. While acknowledging the competitive instincts that drive Formula 1 drivers, he warned that individual ambition must not undermine the wider team’s objectives.
Leclerc’s aggressive move leaves Hamilton frustrated in Mexico
The latest flashpoint came shortly after Sunday’s race start in Mexico.
Hamilton began from pole position, but Leclerc launched an aggressive challenge into Turn Four. Rather than backing out of the move, the Monegasque went across the grass, cutting the corner and emerging ahead of his team-mate.
The incident proved particularly costly for Hamilton when Max Verstappen subsequently managed to pass the Ferrari, leaving the seven-time world champion down in third position.
Hamilton made his frustration clear over team radio, while the stewards subsequently handed Leclerc a five-second penalty.
Martin Brundle discussed the incident on Sky Sports, explaining why drivers can find it difficult to balance their responsibilities to a team with their own competitive instincts.
“They are born racing drivers – it’s a strange business where you operate as an individual within a team. You are measured as an individual, you are rewarded as an individual, but when the adrenaline is high and a gap opens up, as the great Ayrton Senna always used to say: ‘If you don’t take advantage of a gap, you’re no longer a racing driver,'” Brundle explained.
The former driver recognises that such instincts are part of what makes Formula 1 competitors successful. However, he believes there must be limits when two drivers are representing the same organisation.
Brundle says Ferrari must regain control of its drivers
Brundle believes Leclerc should have surrendered the position to Hamilton after gaining an advantage by leaving the circuit. However, Verstappen’s presence between the two Ferraris complicated the situation.
According to the former F1 driver, Leclerc “should have given the position back to his teammate.”
“But he couldn’t because the cunning old Max Verstappen had squeezed between the two Ferraris – just as he had already tried to do earlier this year in Madrid,” Brundle explained.
The five-second penalty subsequently became another source of frustration for Hamilton.
For Brundle, however, the bigger issue is the impact such confrontations have on Ferrari as an organisation.
“It doesn’t look good for the team – like back when Lando Norris collided with Oscar Piastri in the sprint race in Singapore. It doesn’t look good for the team. That’s how you let 1500 employees down,” Brundle continued.
“You may only be the last link in the team’s chain, but you’re the one who has to perform in the heat of the moment. Ferrari will have to get this under control.”
His comments highlight the difficult balance facing Ferrari. Hamilton and Leclerc are both expected to fight for victories, but their individual ambitions cannot consistently come at the expense of the team’s championship objectives.
Another Hamilton-Leclerc confrontation expected in Brazil?
The real concern for Brundle is that Ferrari’s internal discussions might not produce a lasting solution.
He expects the team to bring both drivers together, discuss the incident and attempt to move forward before the Brazilian Grand Prix. However, he remains unconvinced that the same situation will not arise again.
“They’ll sit down together, and we’ll go to Brazil, and they’ll say: ‘Yes, we’ve sat down, we’ve understood everything, we’ll move on, and it won’t happen again,’ but in reality, we know it will happen again,” he asserted.
That is a particularly uncomfortable assessment for Ferrari, especially with the team needing consistency from both sides of its garage.
Ferrari now faces an important opportunity to establish clearer expectations before the next race. Whether those discussions translate into different behaviour on track remains uncertain.
Brundle’s warning is straightforward: Ferrari can promise that the problem has been resolved, but unless the drivers and team management change how they handle these situations, another confrontation could be waiting just around the corner.
Rosberg warns Ferrari
Rosberg, who knows Hamilton particularly well after competing alongside him at Mercedes, believes Ferrari could be approaching a dangerous point in its relationship with its two drivers. The German fears that disagreements currently being managed through team discussions could eventually spill onto the circuit, with potentially damaging consequences for both competitors and the team.
Speaking as a Sky Sports expert after the Mexican Grand Prix, Rosberg suggested that the situation could deteriorate rapidly if the drivers decide to settle their differences themselves rather than follow the arrangements established by Ferrari.
His warning comes after Hamilton openly criticised the circumstances surrounding the battle with Leclerc, suggesting that his teammate’s actions had cost Ferrari a potentially valuable one-two finish.
Rosberg fears Ferrari’s internal dispute could become a track battle
Rosberg’s biggest concern is not simply that Hamilton and Leclerc disagree over individual racing incidents. Instead, he believes the more significant problem is the possibility that trust between the two drivers is beginning to break down.
Ferrari relies on its drivers respecting certain agreements when they compete against each other. Such arrangements are particularly important when a team has the performance to challenge for victories and needs both cars to maximise its points.
However, when one driver believes those agreements are not being respected, frustration can quickly develop into a much larger problem.
Rosberg issued a particularly stark warning about what could happen if the situation continues.
“Things will only get really bad when the drivers take matters into their own hands, ignore everything that has been discussed so far, settle the matter on the track and simply push the other driver out of the way,” he commented.
“That can happen very quickly, and in a way it’s already happening.”
The former Mercedes driver believes Ferrari cannot afford to underestimate the consequences of allowing tensions to develop between its two leading competitors.
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