Former Formula 1 world champion Damon Hill believes Ferrari should make Lewis Hamilton its clear number one driver ahead of Charles Leclerc, arguing that the Italian team could achieve major success by fully supporting the seven-time world champion. Following the tensions between Ferrari’s drivers at the Mexico City Grand Prix, the 1996 champion has called for an immediate decision that would end the debate over their respective positions within the team.
Damon Hill’s intervention adds another dimension to the increasingly heated discussion surrounding Ferrari’s driver management. While the former British champion believes Lewis Hamilton should be given priority, team principal Fred Vasseur continues to favour an approach without imposed team orders, relying instead on the drivers’ judgement and their responsibility towards the Scuderia.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc tensions divide Ferrari supporters
The near-collision between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc during the recent Mexico City Grand Prix, followed by comments from both drivers and Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, has inevitably created further divisions.
On one side are supporters of the Monegasque driver, including a section of the fanbase whose aggressive language has previously been highlighted by Carlos Sainz. On the other are supporters of Lewis Hamilton, the former Mercedes driver who joined Ferrari with enormous expectations.
Meanwhile, neutral Formula 1 followers and Ferrari supporters have watched a dispute unfold across social media for at least a week. The tensions within the Maranello garage are not entirely new, however, with disagreements between the two drivers having already emerged at Zandvoort earlier in the season.
The situation has intensified scrutiny of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s relationship within Ferrari, particularly regarding how the team should handle their competition on track.
Damon Hill urges Ferrari to make Lewis Hamilton its number one driver
Sections of the British media have been particularly vocal in their support for Lewis Hamilton, who arrived at Ferrari with the intention of bringing his winning experience and helping to transform the team’s approach. However, the seven-time world champion has not yet fully achieved those objectives.
While experienced Daily Mail journalist Jonathan McEvoy launched a particularly forceful attack on Charles Leclerc, abandoning the traditional British restraint often associated with such commentary, Damon Hill has also made his position clear.
The 1996 Formula 1 world champion believes Ferrari should take decisive action and place its full trust in Lewis Hamilton’s advice and experience. In his view, doing so could help the Italian team overturn established working practices that have not always produced the desired results.
Ferrari’s lengthy championship drought provides important context for that argument. The Scuderia has not won the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship since 2007, while its most recent Constructors’ Championship came the following year, in 2008.
Explaining his position on X, formerly Twitter, Damon Hill wrote:
“Here’s where I stand on the Hamilton versus Leclerc debate, and I also spoke about it during my live commentary on 5 Live Sport last Sunday in Mexico. Ferrari must make Lewis the number one driver! They should make things clear immediately, put an end to all the debate, and Hamilton will definitely deliver the results if they support him 100%.”
His remarks represent one of the clearest calls for Ferrari to establish a driver hierarchy following the controversy surrounding the clash between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in Mexico.
Fred Vasseur maintains different approach to Ferrari team orders
Damon Hill’s proposal reflects a broader position among sections of the British media and Formula 1 commentary, where support for Lewis Hamilton has increasingly translated into calls for him to take precedence over Charles Leclerc.
Those backing this approach believe the seven-time world champion should also have greater freedom to influence Ferrari’s working methods, allowing the team to benefit fully from his experience and his ideas about how to achieve success.
However, Fred Vasseur has repeatedly emphasised a different philosophy. The Ferrari team principal remains opposed to imposing formal team orders, preferring to rely on common sense from both drivers and their shared responsibility to respect the interests of Ferrari.
The disagreement highlights the wider debate surrounding Ferrari’s potential racing rules following the Mexico Grand Prix controversy. Should the Scuderia establish a clear hierarchy, or continue allowing its two drivers to compete without a designated number one?
For Damon Hill, the answer is unequivocal: Lewis Hamilton should receive Ferrari’s full backing. Fred Vasseur, meanwhile, remains committed to managing both drivers without imposing a formal hierarchy, even as the debate over their roles continues.
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