Lewis Hamilton is continuing to push Ferrari for internal changes, with the main focus reportedly on some of the personnel working trackside during Formula 1 race weekends. At the same time, fresh speculation has emerged over the seven-time world champion’s relationship with team principal Fred Vasseur, although AutoRacer.it maintains that the situation should not be described as an internal crisis.
The latest reports arrive during a difficult period for Ferrari, with results changing as rivals have closed the gap and debate growing around both the technical direction of the SF-26 and the way the team is being managed. Hamilton’s requests are therefore becoming another important part of the wider discussion surrounding the Maranello operation.
Lewis Hamilton wants changes to Ferrari’s trackside structure
According to AutoRacer.it, there is substance behind reports that Lewis Hamilton wants changes among the personnel working at the circuits during Grand Prix weekends. Fred Vasseur has not yet implemented the changes being requested, while the British driver is continuing to push for them.
Some modifications require time and are not straightforward to make. Hamilton has frequently tried to change aspects of the organisation around him, while the group working directly with the seven-time world champion has also evolved over time. The report states that there are certain figures Hamilton does not want working trackside, and that this preference has existed for some time.
However, the same account rejects suggestions that Ferrari is facing the kind of major internal crisis portrayed elsewhere. The distinction is therefore important: there are genuine requests for personnel changes, but that does not necessarily mean the working relationship between Hamilton and Vasseur has completely broken down.
The wider developments around the British driver can be followed through the ScuderiaFans Lewis Hamilton Ferrari coverage.
Ferrari’s technical situation adds pressure to the internal debate
The discussion is unfolding against a complicated competitive backdrop. The SF-26 is described as having been born with an excellent chassis and strong aerodynamics, but with an engine deficit that remains too large even after the ADUO 1 and ADUO 2 updates.
McLaren has recovered strongly and is regarded by Mercedes as the current leading force, with Mercedes placing itself second. Ferrari would therefore sit third in that assessment, ahead of Red Bull in fourth.
A fourth package of updates is expected to arrive for Ferrari at Austin, although the team’s rivals will not stand still. The competitive field has tightened, and the results have changed accordingly. The development battle remains central to the SF-26 project, with further context available through ScuderiaFans’ Ferrari technical analysis coverage and the examination of how continued SF-26 development could also benefit Ferrari’s 2027 car.
AutoRacer clarifies Lewis Hamilton’s Madrid engine specification
There has also been clarification surrounding doubts about the power unit Lewis Hamilton used during the Madrid weekend. According to AutoRacer.it, the confusion resulted from a misunderstanding between Ferrari and Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz.
The British driver reportedly used the ADUO 1 specification on Friday in order to preserve mileage, before switching to the ADUO 2 version from Saturday onwards. The situation therefore did not indicate that Hamilton had spent the entire weekend on the older specification.
Questions over Fred Vasseur and Lewis Hamilton grew after Monza
The internal debate intensified following Monza, when controversy developed around claims that Hamilton had pushed for first-driver status and greater control within the team. By the time Formula 1 arrived in Madrid, Fred Vasseur had made Ferrari’s position clear: both drivers would receive the same consideration, with no preference given to either one.
The aftermath of Monza has already placed Ferrari’s internal management under scrutiny, particularly around Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and team orders. More context on that situation is available in the analysis of Fred Vasseur’s position after Ferrari’s Monza tensions.
A new layer was then added by Corriere della Sera, which wrote: “They also say that Lewis has asked for some key figures in the trackside operation to be changed and that his relationship with Vasseur is no longer what it once was.”
That report painted a picture of a more complicated internal atmosphere and even raised the possibility of different factions forming within the organisation.
Giorgio Terruzzi questions communication inside Ferrari
Further criticism came during the Terruzzi Racconta podcast. Italian journalist Giorgio Terruzzi focused on communication between the team principal and Ferrari’s drivers, arguing that there had repeatedly been a lack of alignment.
“Communication is always out of sync between Vasseur and the drivers. Especially Hamilton. But Leclerc too. The Vasseur issue is an issue, it’s an evergreen. Every year it comes up because the management is what it is. The problem exists, just as the relationship with Vigna is now practically non-existent. There is also some irritation at Maranello because he is rarely seen. They call him Napoleon because he seems to have the attitude of an absolute leader, somewhat dismissive, somewhat arrogant,” Giorgio Terruzzi said.
Pino Allievi then offered another interpretation of the relationships inside Ferrari. “Vasseur has always been very close to Leclerc. And I’m told Hamilton is almost a separate republic within Ferrari, because he takes all the credit when the car is there.”
Reports reject claims of a full Ferrari crisis
Despite the increasingly strong commentary surrounding Ferrari, AutoRacer.it presents a more measured picture of the current situation. The report acknowledges that Hamilton genuinely wants changes to the personnel involved in race-weekend operations and that Fred Vasseur has not yet acted on those requests.
Hamilton is continuing to apply pressure, but some changes naturally take time and are difficult to execute immediately. The British driver has a history of trying to reshape elements of the working environment around him, and the composition of his support structure has already changed over time.
There are therefore real points of disagreement over how the trackside operation should be organised. What is not supported by the same account, however, is the idea that the relationship between Hamilton and Vasseur has reached the point of an outright crisis.
Ferrari is consequently dealing with two parallel challenges. On track, the team must respond to the competitive progress of McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull while continuing to develop the SF-26. Off track, Hamilton is pushing for changes he believes are necessary within the race-weekend structure, while Vasseur must balance those requests against the needs and stability of the wider organisation.
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