David Coulthard believes Lewis Hamilton misjudged how Charles Leclerc would race him during Ferrari’s controversial opening lap at the Italian Grand Prix, arguing that the seven-time world champion expected more room from his team-mate than the situation warranted.
Hamilton started fourth at Monza, one position behind Leclerc, and attacked the Monegasque into the first chicane. His initial move placed him on the inside before the direction change left him on the outside through Turn 2, where Leclerc held his line and Hamilton was forced briefly into the gravel. The excursion proved costly, dropping the Briton six places to 10th.
David Coulthard backs Charles Leclerc in Lewis Hamilton Monza debate
Coulthard disagreed with Hamilton’s interpretation of the incident. The F1 TV commentator argued that the Ferrari driver had approached the battle as though Leclerc might treat him differently because they were team-mates, when he should instead have expected a conventional fight for track position.
In Coulthard’s assessment, Leclerc simply followed his racing line without making contact with Hamilton. He therefore felt the seven-time world champion had little basis to complain about being forced wide, describing what happened as part of normal racing.
That interpretation differs from other assessments of Ferrari’s first-lap controversy. Juan Pablo Montoya, for example, has argued that Leclerc showed Hamilton too little respect as a team-mate at Monza, illustrating how divided opinion has become over the incident.
Hamilton himself was clear about his position from inside the car. He complained over the radio that Leclerc had forced him off the circuit and later maintained that he had been ahead at the apex of Turn 2, which in his view entitled him to additional space.
Coulthard sees lesson from Hamilton and Verstappen’s 2021 Monza crash
For Coulthard, the circumstances also brought back memories of Hamilton’s dramatic collision with Max Verstappen at the same chicane during the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.
On that occasion, Verstappen attempted to challenge Hamilton around the outside at Turn 1, which placed the Red Bull on the inside for the second part of the chicane. The two cars collided and Verstappen’s car was launched over the rear wheel of Hamilton’s Mercedes, eliminating both championship rivals from the race.
The stewards held Verstappen predominantly responsible for that 2021 collision and handed the Dutchman a three-place grid penalty for the following Grand Prix. Coulthard nevertheless believes the episode should have taught Hamilton how difficult it can be to complete a clean pass through the first Monza chicane when two cars remain alongside one another.
Speaking separately to Channel 4, the former Formula 1 driver argued that Hamilton had initially established his position and that Leclerc had provided some space, but ultimately the Ferrari battle ended with the Briton being pushed back and falling to 10th. From Coulthard’s perspective, Hamilton should have recognised the risk from his previous wheel-to-wheel experience with Verstappen at the same section of circuit.
Hamilton believes being ahead at the apex should have earned him more room
Lewis Hamilton viewed the incident differently after the Grand Prix. He stressed that he had been ahead at the apex of Turn 2 and therefore believed Charles Leclerc should have left sufficient racing room.
The disagreement has become part of a wider discussion over how Ferrari intends to manage its drivers when they fight directly. Hamilton subsequently criticised the absence of defined Ferrari rules of engagement between himself and Leclerc, contrasting the situation with the written guidelines he experienced during his Mercedes career.
Leclerc accepted after the race that the two cars had come too close during the opening exchanges. However, the Monegasque did not accept the broader suggestion that the pair were working against each other, with the increasingly competitive dynamic between Ferrari’s drivers becoming one of the major talking points surrounding the team.
Team principal Fred Vasseur also declined to publicly assign responsibility to either driver. He acknowledged instead that the outcome of their first-lap fight had damaged Ferrari’s race, an assessment that was difficult to dispute given how quickly the team’s home Grand Prix deteriorated.
Ferrari’s Monza hopes unravel after first-lap controversy
Hamilton had begun the race directly behind Leclerc with both Ferraris near the front, giving the Scuderia an opportunity to challenge for a strong result in front of the Tifosi. Instead, the opening-lap fight immediately left Hamilton with six positions to recover.
Leclerc’s afternoon then ended at the conclusion of lap two when he crashed, leaving Ferrari with only Hamilton still running. The Briton eventually recovered to sixth place, but the result fell well short of the team’s expectations for its home event.
The episode has consequently intensified scrutiny of both drivers and Ferrari’s management of their rivalry. Further developments involving the seven-time world champion can be followed through ScuderiaFans’ dedicated Lewis Hamilton Ferrari coverage, while Leclerc’s season is covered in the Charles Leclerc news section.
Coulthard’s conclusion is ultimately that Hamilton should not have expected special treatment simply because the car alongside belonged to his team-mate. While Hamilton believes his position at the apex justified receiving more space, Coulthard sees Leclerc’s defence as legitimate racing and thinks the events of Monza in 2021 should already have demonstrated how unforgiving that particular overtaking situation can be.
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