Jolyon Palmer believes Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc can become so focused on beating each other that their internal rivalry starts to work against Ferrari, with the former Formula 1 driver pointing to the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix as the latest example.
Ferrari still strengthened its advantage over McLaren in the battle for second place in the Constructors’ Championship at Marina Bay. Hamilton and Leclerc both reached the podium in the Sprint, while the Monegasque followed that result with another podium in the Grand Prix. Palmer nevertheless feels the Scuderia left points available because of decisions involving both drivers.
Jolyon Palmer questions Hamilton and Leclerc rivalry at Ferrari
One opportunity disappeared at the start of the Grand Prix, when Leclerc had a chance to challenge Max Verstappen for the lead into Turn 1 but was unable to complete the move. Hamilton’s race then unravelled later after he stayed out during the Virtual Safety Car instead of pitting.
Ferrari had requested that Hamilton stop, but the seven-time world champion continued on his soft C5 Pirelli tyres. He later apologised for the decision after Leclerc, who had pitted, comfortably recovered second place and Hamilton subsequently dropped behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on his way to sixth.
The decisive sequence formed part of a wider afternoon in which Ferrari’s Singapore strategy decisions and SF-26 limitations prevented the team from converting all of its potential into points.
Palmer suspects Hamilton’s choice was influenced by the knowledge that stopping behind Leclerc would effectively secure third place rather than give him another opportunity to beat his teammate. Ferrari could have double-stacked the two cars, but Hamilton would have emerged behind the Monegasque without a meaningful tyre offset to change their positions afterwards.
Lewis Hamilton’s Singapore gamble may have had teammate battle in mind
Hamilton entered that phase of the race with the opportunity to strengthen his season-long Grand Prix head-to-head against Leclerc. He had led the comparison 9-8 before Singapore and, according to Palmer’s interpretation, remaining on track may have represented his best opportunity to make that advantage 10-7 rather than accepting a finish behind the other Ferrari.
Palmer therefore wonders how much the seven-time world champion’s decision-making was shaped by the desire to choose a different route from his teammate. He believes the Ferrari pairing can sometimes become so determined to beat one another that their competition compromises the team’s wider result.
The Singapore gamble ultimately proved costly. Once the tyre advantage swung decisively towards Leclerc, Hamilton could no longer protect his position and fell down the order. The reasoning and consequences behind the call are explored further in the analysis of why Lewis Hamilton remained on track during the Singapore VSC.
Zandvoort and Monza add to Palmer’s Ferrari concerns
Palmer does not view Singapore as an isolated example. He also highlighted incidents at the Dutch and Italian Grands Prix as evidence of how the intra-team contest has occasionally come at a cost to Ferrari.
At Zandvoort, Leclerc attempted an ambitious move down the inside at Turn 6 on the final lap while the two Ferrari drivers were still trying to challenge George Russell for a podium place. The incident disrupted their pursuit of the Mercedes driver, with Leclerc eventually finishing just 0.503 seconds behind Hamilton and 0.849 seconds behind Russell.
The tension that day was visible afterwards, with Leclerc seen shaking his head towards his teammate. Hamilton was also frustrated with Ferrari’s race management because the team did not use orders to move the Monegasque aside and allow him to maximise his tyres in the fight for a stronger result.
Palmer then pointed to Monza, where Hamilton attempted an aggressive move on Leclerc at the opening chicane. The Monegasque subsequently forced his teammate off at the second part of the sequence and later apologised for going too far.
Those incidents have contributed to a pattern that Palmer believes Ferrari has already addressed internally. He suspects direct discussions have taken place with both drivers since Monza, but the Singapore strategy episode has left him questioning whether those conversations have changed the competitive dynamic enough.
Fred Vasseur continues to give Ferrari drivers freedom to race
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has generally resisted imposing team orders during the 2026 season, allowing Hamilton and Leclerc to race one another even when doing so could potentially affect the team’s overall result.
A similar situation had already developed at the Chinese Grand Prix in round two. George Russell was able to escape up the road and secure second place while the two Ferrari drivers fought among themselves rather than combining their efforts to close on the Mercedes.
The same debate resurfaced at Singapore when Ferrari declined to move Leclerc aside during an earlier phase of the race despite Hamilton being on a different tyre strategy. Vasseur later defended that decision when questioned about Ferrari’s management of Hamilton and Leclerc at Marina Bay.
Palmer’s concern is not simply that Ferrari has two competitive drivers. Instead, he believes their desire to beat one another can influence risk-taking and strategic choices in ways that may leave the team with fewer points than its performance deserves.
Ferrari faces balancing act as Constructors’ fight continues
Singapore still produced valuable championship points and strengthened Ferrari’s position over McLaren in the fight for second in the Constructors’ standings. Yet the weekend also reinforced the challenge of managing two drivers who are determined to establish themselves as the stronger performer within the team.
That balance between allowing Hamilton and Leclerc to compete freely and protecting Ferrari’s overall result is likely to remain an important issue whenever their strategies or track positions overlap. The wider picture of where the Scuderia lost opportunities at Marina Bay can also be seen in the Singapore Grand Prix race analysis.
For Palmer, the key question after Singapore is whether the competitive instinct between Ferrari’s drivers is beginning to influence decisions beyond normal on-track rivalry. He believes the evidence from Zandvoort, Monza and Marina Bay suggests the team still has work to do in ensuring that the battle between Hamilton and Leclerc does not come at Ferrari’s expense.
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