Former Ferrari mechanic Francesco Cigarini has compared Lewis Hamilton’s public apology after his Singapore Grand Prix mistake to the leadership qualities of Michael Schumacher, recalling how the seven-time world champion sometimes accepted responsibility for problems that were not entirely his fault. Speaking to Fanpage.it, Francesco Cigarini explained why Lewis Hamilton’s willingness to take the blame could help strengthen Ferrari from within, while revealing an unforgettable moment in 2006 when Michael Schumacher gathered the entire team after an engine failure damaged his World Championship hopes.
For Francesco Cigarini, the similarities go beyond two drivers who have each won seven Formula 1 World Championships. Both understand the importance of protecting the people around them, accepting responsibility and maintaining unity during difficult moments. The former Ferrari mechanic believes this approach can help Lewis Hamilton build stronger relationships within the team, even when the circumstances surrounding an error are not entirely clear.
Former Ferrari mechanic explains why Lewis Hamilton’s apology matters
Asked how unusual it was for a driver to take responsibility so openly after a mistake, Francesco Cigarini explained that such behaviour reflects a particular understanding of the relationship between a driver and the team.
“It’s part of having an honest relationship with the team. If I make a mistake, I admit it, but it’s also a signal: when you make mistakes, you have to take responsibility for them. However, we’re a team, so I’ll protect you.”
Nevertheless, Francesco Cigarini acknowledged that the circumstances surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s Singapore incident remained uncertain. He was not convinced that the British driver had necessarily been responsible for everything that happened.
“I don’t know how much Lewis actually got wrong, because I saw that he opened the radio but there was no communication, so the exact sequence of events isn’t completely clear. We don’t know whether Hamilton also wanted to cover up a strategic mistake by the team by taking all the responsibility.”
Ferrari explained that Lewis Hamilton had missed the pit entry, while the driver himself said he had personally decided to stay out. Asked whether this discrepancy raised doubts, Francesco Cigarini admitted that some questions remained unanswered.
“Yes, something remains a little unclear. If he missed the pit entry, fine: he took responsibility for it. But Hamilton said, ‘I made the decision.’ So perhaps the team and driver are covering something up between them. Maybe he simply made a mistake, but the sequence of events isn’t entirely clear. Or perhaps it’s simply one of his little lapses in concentration.”
Francesco Cigarini questions Ferrari’s communication with Lewis Hamilton
The former Ferrari mechanic stressed that his comments about occasional lapses in concentration were not intended to question Lewis Hamilton’s overall ability. Instead, he suggested that even the greatest drivers can sometimes become so absorbed in their own performance that they briefly lose awareness of what is happening around them.
“Hamilton is undoubtedly a great driver, but occasionally he has little lapses in concentration, which can happen even to champions. For example, sometimes when he finishes a lap in practice or qualifying, he doesn’t move out of the way immediately. Perhaps he’s already mentally going over his lap, and that makes him momentarily lose interest in what’s happening around him.”
Asked whether something similar might have happened in Singapore, Francesco Cigarini replied:
“It’s possible that it was another lapse in concentration, that at that moment he wasn’t completely switched on or wasn’t thinking about the strategy. But I believe that in these situations the driver needs to be helped.”
In his view, Ferrari’s pit wall must provide clearer and more decisive instructions when making strategic decisions, particularly when a driver is approaching the pit entry.
“There needs to be greater clarity and decisiveness. If you want him to come in and you see him approaching the pit lane, you open the radio and clearly tell him: ‘Box, box.’ Then perhaps the driver replies: ‘No, I’m staying on these tyres.’ But at least at that point the situation is clear.”
Francesco Cigarini believes that avoiding misunderstandings between the driver and the pit wall is more important than determining who should publicly accept the blame. Ferrari’s recent strategy and communication difficulties have also highlighted the importance of ensuring that instructions are understood and acted upon correctly.
“Exactly. Because otherwise, one time I take the blame, another time you take it, but ultimately the result is that you’ve lost positions. The important thing isn’t to establish publicly who made the mistake. Those are things to discuss in debriefings, the famous dirty laundry that should be washed in private.”
Asked what really matters after an error, he continued:
“Having a clear picture, understanding what happened and working to improve next time. The final performance is what matters. Everything else should help us understand how to avoid repeating that situation.”
Why Lewis Hamilton taking the blame could strengthen Ferrari
According to Francesco Cigarini, hearing a seven-time Formula 1 World Champion publicly accept responsibility can have a particularly positive effect on the mechanics and engineers working behind the scenes.
“It’s positive for the team. We need to understand whether he took full responsibility because it really was entirely his fault or whether he also wanted to take some pressure off the team. But the team appreciates that kind of attitude regardless.”
Even if Lewis Hamilton was only partly responsible, Francesco Cigarini believes that accepting the blame could demonstrate his willingness to protect the people working alongside him.
“Of course. Even if he were 60% responsible and took all the blame, the team would understand that he’s trying to protect them. He wants to take some pressure off the team and put it on his own shoulders. That’s very positive for the people working within the team.”
It is this attitude that reminded Francesco Cigarini of Michael Schumacher, whose relationship with Ferrari’s mechanics and engineers was built on mutual trust and responsibility.
Michael Schumacher’s leadership at Ferrari: Taking responsibility even when it wasn’t his fault
Having worked with Michael Schumacher during Ferrari’s most successful modern era, Francesco Cigarini remembers a driver who was willing to acknowledge his mistakes and listen carefully to the people around him.
“Yes, absolutely. One characteristic of Michael, and generally of champions at that level, was that on the outside he could seem like a wall, almost impossible to break through, while inside he had many doubts.”
Far from being unwilling to accept advice, Michael Schumacher regularly relied on the expertise of senior Ferrari figures, including Ross Brawn and Luigi Mazzola.
“Yes. He allowed himself to be guided and advised a great deal by people like Ross Brawn, Luigi Mazzola and the people in Ferrari’s technical department. He carefully analysed the engineers’ input and was also very analytical about himself. There was always self-criticism.”
Asked whether Michael Schumacher was prepared to take responsibility for mistakes, Francesco Cigarini described the German as someone who often shielded the team from external criticism.
“He was very fair towards the team. He also acted as a lightning rod and sometimes took on more responsibility than he actually had.”
One example was Michael Schumacher’s serious accident at Silverstone in 1999, which left him with a broken leg.
“When he had the accident at Silverstone and broke his leg, in my opinion it wasn’t his responsibility: there had been a problem with the car. Yet Michael never pointed the finger at the team. Considering what had happened to him physically as well, it was a demonstration of complete fairness towards Ferrari.”
The unforgettable moment Michael Schumacher gathered Ferrari after the 2006 engine failure
Perhaps Francesco Cigarini’s most powerful memory of Michael Schumacher’s leadership came during the 2006 Formula 1 season, when an engine failure dealt a devastating blow to the German driver’s hopes of winning another World Championship.
Rather than blaming Ferrari’s engineers or mechanics for the failure, Michael Schumacher gathered the team together and delivered a message intended to lift their spirits.
“Yes, when the engine failed in 2006 and that incident had an enormous impact on the possibility of winning the World Championship. Michael gathered the team together.”
Recalling what Michael Schumacher told the Ferrari personnel, Francesco Cigarini explained:
“He essentially said: ‘That’s racing. We’ve won a lot, but when you win a lot, you also have to accept that you can lose a lot.’ He gave a speech like a true leader to the team, precisely when we were all upset because that failure had compromised the possibility of winning another World Championship.”
The gesture was particularly meaningful because Michael Schumacher was the person who had lost the most from the mechanical failure, yet he was the one offering encouragement to the people around him.
“He also gave you his point of view. You were upset because an engine failure had affected his World Championship, and yet he, the one who had lost the most, was the person coming to comfort the team.”
The message was one of confidence in Ferrari’s ability, despite the disappointment of losing such an important opportunity.
“The message was: ‘You’re strong, you’ve shown many times that you’re a winning team and you’ve supported me in everything. This time we lost.’ When you win, you also have to know how to lose, because it’s part of sport. It was a sporting and human lesson for the entire team.”
Francesco Cigarini believes that Michael Schumacher’s intervention helped Ferrari regroup rather than allowing disappointment to undermine the team’s confidence.
“Absolutely. It helped transform defeat into the awareness that we were still fighting at the top. Defeats exist in sport. You have to regroup, understand that you’re still a winning team and think about the future.”
Having a driver address the entire team directly was especially valuable because it allowed everyone to understand how Michael Schumacher truly felt.
“It’s entirely positive. Having a driver who gathers everyone together and explains his point of view allows the team to know what he really thinks. Then everyone deals with the pain of losing a World Championship in whatever way they can and want.”
Ferrari’s painful championship defeats and Michael Schumacher’s consistency
Francesco Cigarini also experienced Ferrari’s painful championship defeats in 2008, 2010 and 2012. He explained that finishing second can be particularly difficult for a team accustomed to competing for victories and titles.
“They are, if you’ll allow me the expression, genuine sporting tragedies. Finishing second for a team accustomed to winning is already a major defeat, especially when you know what was at stake. But you also have to be aware that you’re up there at the top: when you’re in that position, you can win, but you can also lose.”
Asked whether Michael Schumacher behaved differently in front of the media compared with how he acted inside Ferrari, Francesco Cigarini rejected the idea.
“No. From that point of view, he was very consistent. What he showed on the outside and what he did internally, when it came to taking responsibility, were essentially consistent.”
Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari career remains one of the defining periods in the team’s history, and his achievements can be explored through the Ferrari F1 Driver Records and Statistics database.
Lewis Hamilton can turn a disappointing Ferrari result into something positive
Returning to Lewis Hamilton’s situation, Francesco Cigarini believes that publicly acknowledging an error could actually strengthen the British driver’s position within Ferrari.
“Yes. It can also turn a negative Sunday into a foundation on which to build something positive. This attitude from Hamilton is part of being a champion who wants to build a team: he admits his mistake and sets an example.”
He explained that mechanics and engineers are often more likely to support a driver who is willing to acknowledge his mistakes rather than shift responsibility elsewhere.
“The team tends to rally around him and tell him: ‘Don’t worry, you made a mistake, it can happen. You’ve also done lots of positive things, let’s not get fixated on this mistake.’ That’s how a negative situation can become something useful for the future.”
Although the Singapore incident involved a lost podium rather than a decisive championship result, Francesco Cigarini believes the underlying lessons remain important.
“Of course. A podium is always nice, but it wasn’t a victory that would have been decisive for the World Championship. At the moment Ferrari is fighting for podiums, not for the title. That’s precisely why situations like this need to be used to build a team that will be ready, in the future, to genuinely fight for World Championships.”
For Ferrari, the priority should therefore be to develop a culture in which everyone accepts responsibility and mistakes become opportunities for improvement.
“Yes. If Ferrari wants to return to winning, it has to take this step. It has to strengthen an attitude in which everyone takes responsibility and mistakes are used to grow, not simply to find someone to blame.”
The Ferrari culture that made Michael Schumacher’s team successful
Drawing on his experience with Ferrari’s championship-winning team, Francesco Cigarini explained that the most important aspect of dealing with mistakes was ensuring that they were not repeated.
“The culture was to analyse what had happened and react immediately to make sure the mistake wasn’t repeated. Because the biggest problem isn’t so much the mistake itself: it’s repeating the mistake.”
He emphasised that making the same error again indicated that the team had failed to learn from the previous incident.
“Because it means you haven’t learned from the previous defeat or mistake. We immediately took corrective action. If there was human responsibility, those in charge spoke to the person involved to understand exactly what had happened. But it was a very constructive process.”
That approach remains particularly relevant to Ferrari’s efforts to improve its organisation and race execution. The team’s ability to learn from difficult weekends, rather than becoming consumed by arguments over responsibility, could be important in building a stronger foundation for future championship challenges.
Francesco Cigarini criticises social media attacks on Ferrari drivers and personnel
Francesco Cigarini also reflected on how modern social media has changed the pressure facing Formula 1 drivers and teams. With radio communications and reactions now circulating almost immediately, he believes criticism can become amplified far beyond what would once have been possible.
“With social media, everything is much more amplified. What someone would once have said to friends in a bar is now written on the internet and immediately becomes a public opinion, accessible to everyone.”
He argued that criticism can sometimes become unnecessarily offensive towards people who dedicate their lives to making a Formula 1 team competitive.
“Yes, because very often it becomes offensive or disrespectful towards people who travel around the world and work to make a team function and bring it into contention for the World Championship. Criticism, if handled badly, gets amplified in an almost unfair way.”
However, Francesco Cigarini acknowledged that highly paid Formula 1 drivers must accept scrutiny, while drawing a distinction between constructive criticism and personal attacks.
“Of course they have to accept it. But it should be constructive criticism. It’s one thing to criticise, another to constantly mock someone, look for conspiracies or create drama even when there isn’t any, just to attract attention.”
He concluded by criticising the contradiction between the harsh behaviour of some people online and the admiration they may express when meeting the same individuals in person.
“Yes. There are people who sit behind a keyboard and harshly criticise someone, then when they meet that person, they might ask for a selfie. Criticism, jokes and mistakes are often taken too lightly. Social media amplifies something that could be handled much better.”
For Francesco Cigarini, the lesson from both Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari years and Lewis Hamilton’s recent apology is that strong teams are built through accountability, mutual protection and the ability to learn from setbacks. Rather than allowing mistakes to divide the people working towards the same objective, he believes Ferrari must use those moments to strengthen the relationships that could eventually help the team return to championship contention.
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