Ferrari urged to sacrifice Leclerc in F1 title fight: 'Lewis has to be the number one'

After 12 races and with more than half of the season completed, the seven-time world champion is the better-placed of the two Ferrari drivers in the title fight. Hamilton holds a 28-point advantage over teammate Charles Leclerc and shares second place in the standings with George Russell. The Mercedes driver was able to capitalise on Ferrari's strategic uncertainty at Zandvoort to hold onto the final podium position ahead of his fellow Briton.

Speaking to a betting site, Patrese argued that Ferrari cannot afford to leave both of its drivers on equal footing if it has a genuine opportunity to fight for the championship. The Italian pointed to McLaren's approach last season as an example the Scuderia should avoid, claiming its Papaya Rules and reluctance to impose team orders left both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri free to pursue their own ambitions.

“If there is a chance that Ferrari can go and compete for the championship, they must choose the driver. It's not that they can do what McLaren did last year, when their Papaya rules left the door open for both Lando and Oscar and refused team orders.”

Patrese believes the events at Zandvoort showed that Ferrari still lacks a clearly defined hierarchy between its drivers. In his view, the team must commit to a single championship contender, with Hamilton deserving the number-one role ahead of Leclerc.

Luca Cordero di Montezemolo has questioned the level of support Fred Vasseur can count on within the Scuderia following the team-order controversy involving Hamilton and Leclerc at the Dutch Grand Prix. Rather than focusing solely on the decisions made at Zandvoort, Montezemolo believes the situation raises a broader concern over Ferrari's internal structure, suggesting Vasseur could find himself isolated when faced with difficult or unpopular calls.

Montezemolo compared the current situation with Ferrari's approach during the Michael Schumacher era, recalling the controversial Austrian Grand Prix in which Jean Todt instructed Rubens Barrichello to hand victory to his teammate. Despite Barrichello's frustration, Montezemolo backed Todt and made it clear that the Brazilian was expected to respect decisions taken in Ferrari's interests. For the former president, that episode demonstrated the importance of ensuring a team principal has the authority and internal support required to make major decisions.