Lewis Hamilton slammed and compared to Al Capone by ex-F1 driver
Photo: Race Pictures
Ben Hunt is an award-winning motorsport journalist with over two decades of experience in Formula 1 and international media. As a former editor-in-chief and bestselling author, he delivers in-depth analysis and strategic insight from the highest level of the sport.
Ralf Schumacher has turned on Lewis Hamilton after the Ferrari clash in Mexico and says the seven-time world champion is putting himself above the Ferrari brand. Schumacher has no problem with the wheel-to-wheel fight against Charles Leclerc. His problem is what Hamilton said over the radio afterwards, and he wants Fred Vasseur to step in.
His verdict, given on Sky Germany's Backstage Boxengasse podcast goes against the reading Nico Rosberg gave earlier this week in which he defended Hamilton.
Schumacher targets Hamilton's radio campaign
Hamilton started from pole in Mexico but dropped to third after the opening-lap fight with his teammate. Leclerc was given a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, and he finished fourth. Max Verstappen won, with Hamilton second. During a red flag some 45 laps into the race, Hamilton told his team: "We've got big problems. Big, big problems."
"Lewis Hamilton accepted that if Charles Leclerc didn't drive over the grass, there would be a crash," Schumacher said. "But I have no problem with that, because it's a racing situation where nobody wants to give up their position."
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The aftermath was a different story for the German. He said that to "speak like Al Capone and threaten that 'we have big, big problems'" amounted, in his view, to "just the dog walking its master." He added: "Something urgently needs to change."
Lewis Hamilton is putting himself above the Ferrari brand. He's acting more like a team boss than a driver.- Ralf Schumacher on Backstage Boxengasse (translated from German)
"Lewis needs to ask himself what he actually wants. Is it just about him, or is it about the success of the entire team? Sometimes you get the feeling that everything revolves around him," Schumacher said.
Schumacher urges Vasseur to take control
Schumacher did not let Leclerc off entirely. He believes the two drivers cost each other a win that should have been Ferrari's, and that the team principal now has to put his foot down.
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"I'd put both drivers in a sack, give them a piece of my mind, and explain to them how things are supposed to work at Ferrari. Both drivers ruined each other's race in that situation. Ferrari should have won in Mexico," he said. "The rivalry between Hamilton and Leclerc has gone a bit too far in recent races. It can't be that Ferrari suffers because both drivers are so stubborn."
Lammers sees a champion thinking long term
Not every former driver agrees with Schumacher. Jan Lammers, speaking to Ziggo Sport suggested Hamilton is playing a more strategic game than Leclerc. "At Ferrari, you can see the difference between a super-fast racing driver and a seven time world champion," the Dutchman said. "One goes a bit more for the long term and one focuses on the short term."
This is not the first time Schumacher has questioned how much power Hamilton holds at Maranello. Earlier this season, he suggested on the same podcast that Hamilton's contract could stop Ferrari from using team orders in his battles with Leclerc, which would give the Briton more authority than Vasseur.
After Mexico, the pundits remain split on who is to blame, but they agree on one thing: Ferrari need to get their two drivers under control.
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