Fred Vasseur has confirmed that Ferrari will discuss the costly opening-lap battle between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton after a disastrous Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The two team-mates fought aggressively through the first chicane, with Lewis Hamilton being forced onto the gravel and dropping to eighth, leaving the Ferrari team principal with another major issue to address after one of the Scuderia’s most difficult weekends of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
On a day when Andrea Kimi Antonelli triumphed in front of an ecstatic Monza crowd, Ferrari endured what was arguably its worst weekend since the start of the season and potentially a major blow to its World Championship hopes. The first-corner fight between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc’s subsequent crash at the Parabolica and Lewis Hamilton’s repeated radio complaints about the SF-26’s lack of performance gave Fred Vasseur plenty to consider after the chequered flag.
Fred Vasseur says Ferrari must discuss Charles Leclerc-Lewis Hamilton clash
Speaking to Sky Sport F1 after the race, Fred Vasseur did not attempt to play down the situation. The French manager acknowledged that the growing tension surrounding Ferrari’s two drivers now needs to be addressed internally, particularly after their battle caused immediate damage to the team’s race.
“Team orders? In the end, we’ll have to discuss it with both drivers to clarify the situation,” Fred Vasseur told Sky. “What happened was certainly a shame. Finding ourselves with one car in eighth after the first corner is not ideal.”
The incident inevitably raises the question of how Ferrari wants Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to race each other when both cars are fighting for significant positions. Monza’s first chicane is notoriously difficult when the field arrives tightly packed at the start, and the consequences of the confrontation were immediate: Lewis Hamilton lost several positions before having to begin a recovery drive.
Ferrari’s problems went well beyond the opening corner. Charles Leclerc later suffered a huge accident at the Alboreto corner, better known historically as the Parabolica, while the remaining SF-26 struggled to deliver the performance Lewis Hamilton wanted. The difficulties came despite considerable attention being placed on Ferrari’s SF-26 power-unit package for Monza ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.
Charles Leclerc leaves Monza early after 50G Ferrari crash
Any immediate three-way discussion involving Fred Vasseur, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will have to wait. The Ferrari team principal revealed that Charles Leclerc left the circuit early following his extremely heavy accident, which fortunately did not leave him with serious physical consequences.
The Monegasque lost control of the Ferrari and hit the barriers at around 50G, bringing his home race to a premature end. Fred Vasseur confirmed that he had spoken to Charles Leclerc during the Grand Prix and that the driver had reassured him about his condition before deciding to leave Monza.
“We spoke with Charles during the race and he told me he was fine,” Fred Vasseur explained. “But he preferred to go home as soon as possible. It was also a shock for him because the impact was quite heavy, at around 50G. So I’ll call him in the next few days.”
The crash completed a painful afternoon for Ferrari. What began with an intra-team fight that compromised Lewis Hamilton’s opening lap quickly developed into a retirement for Charles Leclerc and a difficult race for the seven-time world champion, leaving the Scuderia with far fewer points than it had hoped to score at home.
Ferrari leaves Monza with difficult questions to answer
Fred Vasseur now has both sporting and performance issues to address. Ferrari must decide whether clearer rules are needed when Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton find themselves racing wheel-to-wheel, while the team also needs to understand why the SF-26 proved so difficult to maximise during the Italian Grand Prix.
The result is particularly damaging in the wider championship picture. Ferrari entered Monza still trying to maintain its title ambitions, but its difficult home race allowed important opportunities to slip away. The latest 2026 Formula 1 championship standings underline how valuable every point has become as the season progresses.
For Fred Vasseur, however, the first priority will be to speak separately and collectively with his drivers once Charles Leclerc has recovered from the physical and emotional impact of his accident. After a weekend in which Ferrari’s two cars compromised each other almost immediately, the team principal has made clear that what happened at Monza cannot simply be ignored.
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