Ferrari could face further clashes between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc unless the team establishes clearer rules of engagement, according to Formula 1 mental coach Riccardo Ceccarelli. Following the controversial battle between the two drivers at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, the Formula Medicine founder believes neither is prepared to accept a subordinate role, particularly now that the SF-26 appears increasingly competitive. With both drivers fighting to establish their position within Ferrari ahead of 2027, further tensions may be difficult to avoid.
The warning comes after a historic weekend for Italian motorsport. Andrea Kimi Antonelli became Formula 1 world champion at just 20 years old, ending a 73-year wait for Italy to celebrate another drivers’ title since Alberto “Ciccio” Ascari. The 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix will therefore be remembered as a landmark moment, but Riccardo Ceccarelli, the Viareggio-born mental coach and head of Formula Medicine, believes another development deserves closer examination: the increasingly intense rivalry within Ferrari.
“We have witnessed an incredible event. If you consider his age, career and limited experience, nobody would have expected it. However, we have been talking about Kimi throughout the year. We celebrated his victories, and all that was missing was the final confirmation. We can add three words: outstanding, incredible, extraordinary. I’m delighted that the whole world is celebrating him, but now let’s turn our attention elsewhere,” Riccardo Ceccarelli explained.
Riccardo Ceccarelli warns Ferrari over Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc rivalry
The focus inevitably turns to the internal battle between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, which erupted during the Mexico City Grand Prix. The controversy has raised questions about Ferrari’s management and, in particular, whether team principal Fred Vasseur has sufficiently clarified the boundaries within which his drivers are allowed to compete.
For Riccardo Ceccarelli, however, the confrontation itself was hardly surprising. He believes the competitive instincts of two drivers who both consider themselves potential team leaders make such situations almost inevitable when the car is capable of fighting for victory.
“There is nothing unexpected about it. We were able to predict it quite easily last week when we suggested that, if the two Ferrari drivers found themselves fighting for first place, they might end up banging wheels. But why is that? Not because they are unfair drivers or because they lack intelligence.”
The mental coach identifies two fundamental motivations behind the growing rivalry, both connected to the drivers’ immediate ambitions and their positions within Ferrari for the following season.
“There are two reasons. First, finishing second in the World Championship is still better than nothing. Second, supremacy within the team is at stake, also with next year in mind. When you feel you might have a competitive car, it is normal to think about gaining control of the team so you can shape the season. It is normal for your team-mate to become your first rival.”
In other words, the confrontation is not simply about securing the better result in an individual Grand Prix. According to Riccardo Ceccarelli, the battle also concerns which driver can establish himself as Ferrari’s leading figure ahead of the 2027 Formula 1 campaign.
“They are fighting on track for supremacy next year. It is normal for them to battle, and this can also lead to crossing the limits. I see nothing new or unusual about it. We saw it when Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton were fighting, and also between Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. It has happened to so many drivers. How could we forget the rivalry between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna? I’m talking about great names who made Formula 1 history.”
Why Ferrari’s two number one drivers could clash again
The situation raises a difficult question for Fred Vasseur. When a team brings together two established drivers who both expect to compete at the highest level, should occasional confrontations simply be accepted as part of that arrangement, or should management impose stricter limits?
Riccardo Ceccarelli believes the presence of two number one drivers inevitably increases the likelihood of incidents. He also argues that the complete absence of competition between them would raise a different concern.
“When you choose two number one drivers, you have to take these episodes into account. Paradoxically, it would be worse if these things did not happen, because it would mean that one of the two had been numbed into submission and reduced to being only half a driver.”
The warning signs had already appeared at Monza, yet the situation resurfaced in Mexico. The latest incident has renewed questions about whether Ferrari has established a sufficiently clear approach to managing its drivers when their individual ambitions come into conflict with the team’s objectives.
“It is always easy to make judgements from an armchair, but it seems clear that the two drivers are acting independently, without thinking about a common project, discussing the future and clearly defining roles and responsibilities. What happened was that the impulsive side of the drivers took control over the rational side.”
For Riccardo Ceccarelli, the psychological dynamics of the confrontation are especially important. He believes the desire to win became increasingly dominant as the battle developed, eventually overriding the more measured decisions that might have protected Ferrari’s interests.
“They did not challenge each other at the first corner, but further on, as the impulsive side gradually took control, because the only objective was to get into the lead and win the Grand Prix. It takes only a moment to lose control. How many times did we see a young Max Verstappen make mistakes at the start when he was fighting for the leading positions? Yet today we celebrate Max as one of the greatest drivers in history, even though he made mistakes too.”
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have different ambitions but the same objective
The stakes are particularly high because the two Ferrari drivers are at very different stages of their Formula 1 careers. Lewis Hamilton is a seven-time world champion seeking another title, while Charles Leclerc is still pursuing the first championship of his career.
Despite those contrasting circumstances, Riccardo Ceccarelli believes both competitors share the same fundamental determination to establish themselves as the leading driver within the Scuderia.
“There is a driver who has won seven World Championships and would like to finish his career in style with another title at Ferrari. Nobody would be able to remove him from the front page of Formula 1 history. On the other side, we have a driver who has not yet won a title but feels he deserves one. At certain moments, the DNA of drivers who never want to give up comes to the surface, so certain behaviours have to be anticipated.”
That determination may be essential to achieving success in Formula 1, but it also creates a management challenge when both drivers are competing in the same team. The question is whether Ferrari can preserve their competitive instincts while preventing their rivalry from damaging collective results.
“Of course, you have to try to contain this desire to come out on top. It is management’s responsibility to establish the rules, but that does not necessarily mean they will succeed.”
The wider implications of the rivalry are also reflected in the Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton season-long head-to-head comparison, which tracks their performances against each other throughout the 2026 Formula 1 championship.
Ferrari’s missed Mexico GP victory highlights conflicting priorities
The controversy became particularly significant because Ferrari appeared capable of securing a one-two finish in Mexico. Throughout the season, the team’s difficulties had frequently been attributed to a lack of competitiveness from the car. This time, however, the SF-26 had the performance required to fight at the front, only for the drivers’ confrontation to compromise the outcome.
According to Riccardo Ceccarelli, the distinction between a team’s objectives and an individual driver’s ambitions is central to understanding what happened. Ferrari naturally prioritises its position in the Constructors’ Championship, while its drivers are primarily motivated by their own standing in the Drivers’ Championship.
“Yes, but Ferrari is more interested in the Constructors’ Championship, whereas the drivers are interested in the Drivers’ Championship. And it cannot be otherwise, because drivers have to be egocentric if they want to win. Otherwise, they accept a subordinate role as a number two driver. Just remember Gerhard Berger in relation to Ayrton Senna. The Austrian understood that alongside Ayrton he could only be the supporting driver.”
The mental coach nevertheless makes an important distinction between understanding why an incident occurs and suggesting that such behaviour should be accepted without consequences.
“It is clear that certain episodes should not happen. I am not justifying them, but I understand what can go through a driver’s mind when he finds himself in those conditions, makes a mistake and then recognises it. Charles braked a little too late, Lewis Hamilton followed him, and they both went off the track, opening the door for the clever Max Verstappen. It should not happen, but it always has.”
The confrontation proved costly for Ferrari, which ultimately finished second with Lewis Hamilton and fourth with Charles Leclerc. The incident also renewed scrutiny of Fred Vasseur’s management of the two Ferrari drivers and the need to balance their freedom to race with the responsibilities they have towards the team.
Could Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc clash again in Brazil?
Looking ahead to the Brazilian Grand Prix, Riccardo Ceccarelli does not rule out further confrontations. He believes the rivalry will remain intense unless the competitive balance between the two Ferrari drivers changes sufficiently to establish a clear hierarchy.
In particular, he suggests that a substantial increase in Lewis Hamilton’s advantage over Charles Leclerc could influence the internal situation. Without such a development, however, he sees little reason for either driver to voluntarily accept a secondary role.
“We cannot rule it out. Unless Lewis Hamilton’s advantage over Charles Leclerc grows in Brazil to the point where a clear supremacy emerges, I do not believe either of them will take a step back. I would not bet a single cent on it. They will not resort to banging into each other, and they will remain within the bounds of fair play, but they will not hold back in trying to force their team-mate into making a mistake.”
His assessment suggests that Ferrari may face further difficult moments even if both drivers remain within the limits of acceptable racing behaviour. The underlying competition for supremacy could continue to shape their approach on track as the team prepares for the 2027 season.
Riccardo Ceccarelli analyses George Russell’s reaction to Kimi Antonelli’s F1 title
Beyond Ferrari, Riccardo Ceccarelli also examined the psychological consequences of Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s remarkable championship victory for his Mercedes team-mate, George Russell.
The Italian driver’s success has fundamentally altered the internal competitive picture at Mercedes. According to the mental coach, the British driver’s disappointment is understandable because he began the season believing he possessed the experience, maturity and machinery necessary to fight for the World Championship.
“It was predictable that the moment Kimi won the World Championship would be very difficult for George Russell. George knows he had the winning car, the right age and the right level of maturity. He started the season convinced he was the number one driver because the other was still a youngster who had shown good qualities last year, but he was certain he would beat him.”
Riccardo Ceccarelli believes that seeing his younger team-mate win the championship, while facing the possibility of finishing outside the top two himself, represented a profound emotional challenge.
“At a certain point, he discovered that the reality was different and that he even risked not finishing second. It is normal for your world to collapse because the Englishman had reached the end of a dream. He shook Kimi’s hand, but then ran away crying, without taking part in the interviews or the team’s celebrations. Who would have expected George Russell to be unable to control his reactions?”
The mental coach does not believe Mercedes will formally downgrade George Russell to a number two role. However, he argues that the British driver must use the winter to reassess his position and regain the psychological balance necessary to challenge his team-mate.
“Mercedes certainly will not downgrade him, but George Russell will have to find the strength during the winter to question himself again. He is a strong driver and still young. Until his confrontation with Andrea Kimi Antonelli, he had never been dominated by his team-mates. He needs to calm his emotional side and regain control of his rational side. And he must eliminate that nagging doubt that has entered his mind. It will not be easy, but he will succeed.”
For Riccardo Ceccarelli, the situations at Ferrari and Mercedes illustrate different psychological challenges created by intense competition between team-mates. While George Russell must respond to the disappointment of losing the championship battle to Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc remain locked in a contest for supremacy within Ferrari.
With the SF-26 showing stronger competitiveness, the Maranello team faces an increasingly important test of its ability to manage two ambitious drivers. Unless a clearer competitive hierarchy emerges or management successfully establishes the necessary boundaries, Riccardo Ceccarelli believes further battles between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc remain a realistic possibility.
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