Lewis Hamilton is reportedly applying significant pressure on Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur as the seven-time Formula 1 world champion seeks greater influence and a clear leadership role within the Scuderia ahead of Charles Leclerc. According to a report from AutoRacer.it, Lewis Hamilton’s public comments during the Monza weekend were not simply an emotional reaction but part of a deliberate attempt to make his voice carry more weight inside Maranello.
The suggestion is that Lewis Hamilton wants to establish himself as Ferrari’s principal reference point and believes his relationship with chairman John Elkann could help him achieve that objective. Frédéric Vasseur, however, remains determined not to create a formal number-one and number-two driver hierarchy, particularly given his strong relationship with Charles Leclerc. That difference in philosophy is now being portrayed as the centre of an increasingly delicate internal balance.
Lewis Hamilton reportedly wants a clear leadership role at Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was one of the biggest operations in Formula 1 history and carried clearly identifiable risks from the beginning. The commercial benefits have been enormous, while the British driver has also contributed on the technical side by pushing for changes to the way the team operates.
Frédéric Vasseur has already made major changes to Ferrari’s mentality and working methods, including the arrival of Loïc Serra and other personnel. Lewis Hamilton has also played an important role in requesting modifications. According to the account presented by AutoRacer.it, Ferrari’s switch from Brembo to Carbon Industrie was entirely driven by Lewis Hamilton, who had already been asking for the change in 2025. Frédéric Vasseur therefore ended a partnership that had lasted around 50 years while also accommodating the seven-time champion’s requests in other areas.
That level of accommodation, however, reportedly no longer appears sufficient for Lewis Hamilton. The other side of Ferrari signing a driver of his stature was always understood: in recent years, the Scuderia had not employed a world champion with comparable media and political influence.
AutoRacer.it reports that the possibility of Lewis Hamilton eventually challenging the authority of the team principal was a scenario that had long been considered a risk.
Report claims Hamilton is putting deliberate pressure on Fred Vasseur
Piergiuseppe Donadoni of AutoRacer.it described the current situation as a potential power struggle inside Maranello and argued that Lewis Hamilton’s conduct at Monza was calculated rather than impulsive.
“Power struggle at Maranello: what happened at Monza on track and after the race, with Hamilton attacking Vasseur, is no coincidence. It is the first time Lewis has attacked his own Team Principal like this: it is not a gut reaction, but a calculated action. Hamilton wants to take control of Ferrari at a media level. He feels he is not listened to enough and demands to be the team’s reference point. But Vasseur is very close to Leclerc and does not want privileged drivers: for him, the two drivers must remain equal.”
“Lewis has not yet accepted this philosophy. Furthermore, Vasseur has placed many of his own people in strategic areas, figures who historically have closer links to Charles than to him. It is a situation the Englishman finds extremely difficult and no longer wants to tolerate. He knows very well that Elkann listens to him more than Vasseur.”
According to Piergiuseppe Donadoni, the objective is not to have Frédéric Vasseur removed. Such an outcome would also represent a failure for Lewis Hamilton. Instead, the reported aim is to take advantage of the current circumstances to apply pressure, gain more influence and establish himself as Ferrari’s undisputed leader.
“The objective is not to get the TP sacked, which would also be a defeat for Lewis, but to put pressure on him to exploit the moment, be listened to more and finally impose himself as the sole leader of the Scuderia,” Piergiuseppe Donadoni explained.
Fred Vasseur does not want a Ferrari No.1 driver
The situation has effectively become a political chess match in which Lewis Hamilton is reportedly trying to shape Ferrari more closely around his own vision. Frédéric Vasseur, however, does not want one driver officially placed above the other.
The team principal has a strong relationship with Charles Leclerc, while there has so far been no sporting reason to impose that kind of hierarchy. Lewis Hamilton has not genuinely been fighting Kimi Antonelli for the championship, meaning Ferrari’s priority remains maximising its Constructors’ Championship position rather than supporting a single driver’s title campaign. The wider championship picture can also be followed through the current Formula 1 driver standings.
Lewis Hamilton’s reported push for greater authority is also being viewed with 2027 in mind, when Ferrari could potentially find itself in a stronger competitive position. The British driver is said to believe that his input is currently not being heard sufficiently and has begun making the weight of his position more visible in public.
Piergiuseppe Donadoni explained: “For Vasseur, the drivers will be on the same level, especially considering that they are not fighting for the championship, and the objective is to finish as high as possible in the Constructors’. Hamilton will have to accept this, even though in his statements he probably feels he has Elkann’s support.”
Hamilton’s Monza comments reportedly intended to underline his status
The report also connects Lewis Hamilton’s recent public statements with his status as a seven-time world champion. During a Monza weekend in which Ferrari celebrated Michael Schumacher’s legacy, Lewis Hamilton referred to his own world championships, something Piergiuseppe Donadoni interprets as an attempt to emphasise the weight of both his achievements and his standing within Formula 1.
Ferrari’s Monza weekend also carried a strong historical element through its Michael Schumacher tribute, placing the achievements of Formula 1’s most successful champions firmly in focus.
“It is no coincidence that, in recent days and still today, targeted stories have been emerging and pushed to be published and written,” Piergiuseppe Donadoni continued. “When Lewis spoke about his world championships at Monza, where Schumacher’s figure was being celebrated, he wanted precisely to underline the weight of his record and his stature.”
“Ferrari has decided to invest in Charles Leclerc for the long term and it makes absolutely no sense, also considering what he showed on track in 2025 and 2026, to relegate him to a supporting role at this moment.”
John Elkann’s position makes Ferrari situation more complicated
For now, Ferrari is described as operating within an extremely fragile balance. Frédéric Vasseur would reportedly like greater authority to make decisions within the sporting division, but the influence of Ferrari’s senior management places limits on that freedom.
John Elkann is said to listen closely to Lewis Hamilton, while Frédéric Vasseur remains dependent on the company’s leadership at a time when his own position could potentially come under scrutiny. According to the report, openly challenging John Elkann is therefore not a realistic option for the Frenchman.
Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, will once again have to demonstrate his value on the track. Ferrari has continued to back the Monegasque as a central part of its long-term project, while the team must now manage two drivers with significant status without allowing the internal dynamic to become counterproductive.
Ferrari tension described as more than post-race frustration
Piergiuseppe Donadoni believes the reported internal struggle has created a particularly delicate situation because of the relationships connecting Lewis Hamilton, John Elkann and Frédéric Vasseur.
“This power struggle creates an extremely delicate dynamic. Elkann strongly wanted Hamilton and is always on his side; managing the situation is extremely difficult for Vasseur: he has to depend on the President, who in turn depends on the seven-time champion.”
“Vasseur would like to raise his voice and assert his authority, but with the ownership questioning him, it becomes an almost impossible game and he would be taking too great a risk. The tension is high at Maranello and this is not simply post-race nervousness.”
Even so, Piergiuseppe Donadoni stressed that the situation should not yet be exaggerated beyond its current level and instead needs to be monitored as it develops.
“In any case, at least for now, the situation should not be blown further out of proportion, but it certainly needs to be monitored. Of course, it makes you smile, or perhaps not; it is a coincidence, or perhaps not, that this is one of the first times that the British media have been the first to put the French team principal under the microscope, once again linking the names of Coletta and Horner with the Scuderia,” Piergiuseppe Donadoni concluded.
The underlying issue for Ferrari is therefore not yet an open confrontation, but a reported disagreement over authority, influence and driver hierarchy. Lewis Hamilton is said to want a stronger leadership position, while Frédéric Vasseur remains committed to treating Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc equally. How Ferrari manages that balance could become increasingly significant if the team returns to genuine championship contention in the future.
