Ferrari’s handling of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc has come under fresh scrutiny after the Dutch Grand Prix, with Formula 1 commentator Will Buxton arguing that the team’s hesitation in key moments reflects a wider problem with its winning mentality. The strategic tension at Zandvoort left both drivers frustrated and has raised questions over how the Scuderia can manage two leading figures while fighting Mercedes.
The criticism arrives as Ferrari turns its attention towards Monza following a Dutch GP in which its final result fell short of expectations. The SF-26 showed enough pace to challenge for more, but hesitant strategic decisions and execution problems contributed to Hamilton finishing fourth and Leclerc fifth. Team principal Frédéric Vasseur has already ordered a review of Ferrari’s Dutch Grand Prix mistakes.
Will Buxton questions Ferrari’s winning mentality after Zandvoort
Speaking on his Up to Speed podcast, Will Buxton argued that Ferrari appears so concerned about the possibility of losing that the fear itself can prevent the team from making the decisive choices required to win.
For Buxton, the issue goes beyond one difficult afternoon at Zandvoort. He suggested that the Dutch Grand Prix represented the first genuine test of the relationship between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, or more specifically of Ferrari’s ability to manage that relationship when the interests of its two drivers begin to overlap.
Hamilton became visibly frustrated over the radio when he caught his team-mate while running with greater pace. Ferrari did not immediately move the cars around, and the delay became another focal point in the debate over whether the pit wall is decisive enough when circumstances require one driver to be prioritised temporarily.
Ferrari faces difficult balance between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc
Buxton highlighted the unusual challenge facing Ferrari because both sides of the garage carry enormous sporting weight. He described Charles Leclerc as the long-established Ferrari figure who has become deeply associated with the team, while Lewis Hamilton arrived in Maranello as a seven-time world champion with an extraordinary record of success.
In Buxton’s view, satisfying both drivers at all times is effectively impossible. The real challenge is therefore for Ferrari to make decisions based on what best serves the team’s competitive interests rather than trying to avoid disappointing either driver.
The discussion has already extended beyond the immediate Dutch GP strategy. Former Ferrari engineer Rob Smedley has similarly argued that the Scuderia needs greater clarity when deciding how to handle its drivers, including the possibility that Ferrari may need clearer team orders involving Lewis Hamilton when circumstances demand them.
Mercedes comparison adds pressure on Ferrari’s decision-making
Buxton contrasted Ferrari’s approach with Mercedes, a team Hamilton knows exceptionally well after spending more than a decade at Brackley. He argued that Mercedes has historically been prepared to make difficult calls quickly when it believes they are necessary for the broader competitive objective.
According to the British commentator, Hamilton therefore brings direct experience of an organisation accustomed to acting decisively and operating with the mentality required to fight for championships. Buxton maintained that Ferrari’s current execution does not yet meet that standard.
That assessment places additional pressure on Frédéric Vasseur. Ferrari must not only improve the operational details that cost time at Zandvoort but also establish how it intends to manage Hamilton and Leclerc when both are effectively operating as number-one drivers.
Frédéric Vasseur faces important test as Ferrari heads to Monza
The timing makes the debate particularly significant. Ferrari now heads towards its home Grand Prix at Monza, where scrutiny will inevitably increase and every strategic decision involving Hamilton and Leclerc will receive close attention.
For Buxton, the central lesson from Zandvoort is that avoiding a difficult choice does not remove its consequences. He emphasised that indecision itself ultimately becomes a decision, particularly in Formula 1, where delaying a call by only a few laps can completely alter a race.
Ferrari’s challenge is therefore broader than keeping peace between its two star drivers. If the Scuderia wants to compete consistently with Mercedes and ultimately fight for championships, Buxton believes it must become more decisive when race situations demand a clear priority.
Zandvoort exposed that problem in one of the clearest ways yet. Hamilton’s radio frustration, Leclerc’s own disappointing outcome and Ferrari’s missed opportunity have ensured that the management of the two drivers will remain an important subject as the team moves into the Italian Grand Prix weekend.
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