Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he held a frank and open discussion with Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur after the difficult Italian Grand Prix, while playing down concerns over his relationship with Charles Leclerc. Speaking ahead of the Madrid Grand Prix, the seven-time world champion also addressed Ferrari’s lack of formal rules of engagement and admitted that his Formula 1 title prospects are becoming increasingly difficult despite remaining mathematically alive.
The comments come only days after a turbulent Monza weekend in which Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc became involved in a controversial opening-lap battle at the first chicane. The incident sent Lewis Hamilton into the gravel and cost the British driver several positions, ensuring that Ferrari’s driver management remained one of the biggest talking points as Formula 1 moved on to Madrid.
Lewis Hamilton reveals talks with Fred Vasseur after Monza
The disappointment of Monza remains fresh in the minds of Ferrari supporters and, evidently, among the Formula 1 journalists covering the championship. It was therefore no surprise that many of the questions directed at Lewis Hamilton during the traditional opening-weekend media session in Madrid focused on what happened at the Italian Grand Prix.
The main subject was the battle between the two Ferrari drivers at the Prima Variante. Charles Leclerc’s defence ultimately resulted in his team-mate running into the gravel, losing several positions and being forced to recover ground during the remainder of the race.
Lewis Hamilton confirmed that he had subsequently discussed the situation directly with the Ferrari team principal.
“I spoke to Fred Vasseur on Monday and we had a frank and open discussion,” Lewis Hamilton told journalists during his traditional media meeting in the Ferrari motorhome. “Naturally, we will always have different opinions, but in the end we find common ground and a path to follow together.”
The seven-time world champion believes that the ability to have those discussions reflects the progress made inside Ferrari over the past year.
“I think that is the positive aspect of the journey we have been on over the last 15 months or so. We have reached a point where the internal communication is excellent, and the same applies to the relationship between me and Charles.”
Lewis Hamilton also attempted to put the Monza confrontation into perspective, arguing that clashes between team-mates are hardly unprecedented in Formula 1.
“The on-track battle between me and Charles Leclerc? If you look at the history of this sport, it has happened before, so it is nothing serious,” he added.
Ferrari has no formal rules of engagement for Hamilton and Leclerc
Despite playing down the wider significance of the incident, Lewis Hamilton maintained his position on one important point: Ferrari did not have formal rules of engagement governing the battle between its two drivers at Monza.
The subject has become particularly relevant after Frédéric Vasseur also addressed Ferrari’s principles for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc following the Italian GP. For the moment, however, the British driver does not believe introducing new rules is the most urgent issue facing the team.
“Rules of engagement? No, there weren’t any,” Lewis Hamilton explained. Asked whether he would push Ferrari to establish them in future, he replied: “At the moment I am just trying to focus on having a better weekend than the last one.”
Rather than trying to force an immediate change before Madrid, Lewis Hamilton expects the issue to be revisited when Ferrari has had more time to evaluate what happened at Monza.
“I’m sure that at some point we will discuss how we can improve, but we haven’t had much time to change direction. You can’t change things in two days.”
That approach suggests that the immediate priority in Madrid is sporting performance rather than introducing a new internal framework for how the two Ferrari drivers race one another. The Scuderia has arrived at the next round with little time between events, leaving limited opportunity for substantial procedural changes.
Lewis Hamilton realistic about Ferrari’s F1 title chances
The discussion also moved to the Formula 1 World Championship and whether Lewis Hamilton still believes the title remains achievable. While the mathematics continue to leave the door open, the seven-time world champion acknowledged the scale of the challenge now facing Ferrari.
“Mathematically, yes, it is still open, but it is the biggest gap I have seen in a very long time,” Lewis Hamilton admitted. “At this point in the season, the reality is that Mercedes is in control.”
The British driver also acknowledged the level at which his former team is currently operating rather than attempting to minimise its advantage.
“They are leading and they are doing a fantastic job. I think we should simply focus on giving everything we have every weekend. That is all we can do,” Lewis Hamilton concluded.
Madrid gives Ferrari an immediate chance to respond
Ferrari therefore enters the Madrid weekend with two separate challenges. The first is to put the controversy surrounding the Lewis Hamilton-Charles Leclerc Monza battle behind it, while the second is far more important for the championship: improving its performance and maximising the result available at the next round.
The quick turnaround means Lewis Hamilton is not expecting Ferrari’s internal procedures to be transformed immediately. Instead, the emphasis is on producing a cleaner and more competitive weekend before broader discussions over driver management take place.
With the championship moving deeper into the 2026 Formula 1 season, there is also increasingly little margin for lost opportunities. Lewis Hamilton accepts that Mercedes currently holds the advantage, but his objective for Madrid remains straightforward: extract everything possible from the weekend and allow Ferrari’s results on track to determine how much of the title fight can realistically remain alive.
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