Johnny Herbert believes Ferrari has been right not to establish a clear hierarchy between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, arguing that the competitive relationship between its two drivers can actually strengthen the team rather than become a problem.
The former Formula 1 driver believes Ferrari should simply allow Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to compete against each other on equal terms. Despite the inevitable pressure surrounding two drivers determined to become the leading figure at Maranello, Herbert does not see their rivalry developing the same hostility that characterised the famous battle between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.
Ferrari faced questions over a Hamilton-Leclerc hierarchy
Around the summer break, there was extensive discussion over whether Ferrari should establish a hierarchy between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, potentially favouring the seven-time world champion in an attempt to maximise his chances of challenging Andrea Kimi Antonelli for the Drivers’ Championship.
The situation has now become considerably more difficult for Hamilton. Ferrari’s last four races have produced no podium finishes, while his retirement in Madrid contributed to the Briton falling 101 points behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the championship battle.
The Madrid retirement followed a brake problem for Hamilton, with Ferrari subsequently identifying the cause of Lewis Hamilton’s brake failure. The broader season-long balance between Ferrari’s drivers can also be followed through the Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton season comparison.
Johnny Herbert says Hamilton-Leclerc rivalry can benefit Ferrari
According to Johnny Herbert, however, Ferrari should never have intervened to establish a clear number-one driver. Instead, the former F1 racer believes the competition between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton can provide valuable motivation for the Maranello team.
“In that pressure cooker that is Ferrari, the rivalry between Hamilton and Leclerc is good for the team,” Herbert told CasinoHawks. “It isn’t a rivalry that has the nastiness that there was between Senna and Prost. Personally, I would just let them get on with it. I simply think it’s a very healthy thing for a team to have two drivers pushing each other. They’re both trying to be number one in the team.”
Herbert’s comparison evokes one of Formula 1’s most intense intra-team rivalries. Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost were team-mates at McLaren in 1988 and 1989, with their relationship becoming increasingly confrontational as they fought for world championships. Their rivalry produced some of the sport’s most controversial moments, including their collision at Suzuka in 1989.
Ferrari’s dilemma has changed as Hamilton’s title deficit grows
The debate surrounding Ferrari’s driver management has inevitably changed as Lewis Hamilton’s championship position has deteriorated. With the seven-time champion now 101 points behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the argument for prioritising one Ferrari driver in pursuit of the Drivers’ Championship carries a very different context from the situation around the summer break.
Herbert’s position is that Ferrari can instead benefit from allowing both drivers to push one another. Rather than viewing the internal competition as something that needs to be controlled through an established hierarchy, he sees the absence of the hostility associated with Senna and Prost as an important distinction.
The subject has already become particularly relevant following recent tension between the Ferrari drivers, while the team’s broader difficulties have left it searching for stronger results after four consecutive Grands Prix without a podium. Ferrari’s recent performance issues can be explored further in the Ferrari technical analysis section.
For Herbert, the principle remains straightforward: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are both trying to establish themselves as Ferrari’s leading driver, and that competition does not necessarily have to become destructive. As long as their rivalry remains healthy, he believes Ferrari has more to gain from letting its two drivers challenge each other than from imposing a hierarchy.
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