Despite the growing Formula 1 title battle, former Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene believes it is still far too early for the Scuderia to introduce team orders between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
“It’s too early to issue team orders. Managing Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc isn’t difficult. There are circuits where one driver is quicker and others where the other has the advantage. Right now, the only thing that matters is finishing ahead of the Mercedes cars,” Maurizio Arrivabene explained, making it clear that Ferrari should continue allowing both drivers to race freely for the time being.
Pino Allievi agrees: no team orders yet
Veteran Italian journalist Pino Allievi shares the same opinion. Speaking about the situation inside Ferrari, he acknowledged that Lewis Hamilton would naturally like the team to focus entirely on his championship campaign.
“It’s obvious that Lewis Hamilton would like the team to work for him. He speaks like someone who is saying, ‘From this point on, everyone should get behind me,’ including Charles Leclerc. Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, is a very sensitive and kind person. He doesn’t like conflict and has a genuinely good heart. On one side, he wants to respect team orders, but on the other, he has very clear ambitions, because if Charles Leclerc doesn’t win the world championship within the next couple of years, it would represent the failure of his career,” Allievi said.
According to Allievi, both Ferrari drivers have exactly the same objective.
“They both want to win the championship,” he continued. “Lewis Hamilton joined Ferrari to win his eighth world title. He didn’t come here simply to collect podiums or good results. He knows time is passing, he knows Ferrari has a very competitive car this season, and naturally he hopes this is his opportunity to become champion again.”
“Winning the championship also means having the full support of the team, making sure everyone works for one driver. But I don’t think Charles Leclerc agrees with that idea at this stage.”
“Charles Leclerc is faster than Lewis Hamilton”
Allievi also gave his personal assessment of Ferrari’s two drivers, arguing that raw speed still favors the Monegasque.
“If Charles Leclerc rediscovers his confidence, then under normal circumstances Charles Leclerc is faster than Lewis Hamilton. The fact that Lewis Hamilton may sometimes achieve better results because of his experience, race management and vision is a different discussion altogether.”
“I expect that victory the other Sunday will restore Charles Leclerc’s belief in himself. I want to see the real Charles Leclerc again—a driver who is aggressive, exceptionally quick in qualifying, very fast over a race distance and capable of making brilliant split-second strategic decisions. Charles Leclerc is Charles Leclerc.”
Allievi concluded by placing the Ferrari driver extremely highly among Formula 1’s elite.
“In my opinion, he remains the second-best driver on the grid behind Max Verstappen, even though it’s always difficult to make these rankings. So let’s wait and see. I still don’t believe this is the right time for Ferrari to introduce team orders.”
Leave a Reply