Lewis Hamilton is focused on building his Ferrari team rather than breaking it up, according to Jock Clear, his former performance engineer at Mercedes. Clear's comments come after the seven-time world champion was forced to deny reports suggesting he wanted trackside staff sacked.
Rumours of a Rift
Hamilton has claimed only one Grand Prix victory this year and currently sits third in the Drivers' Championship standings, 101 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli. Earlier this month, reports from Italy suggested Hamilton wanted some trackside members of staff at Ferrari to be axed, and that his relationship with team principal Frederic Vasseur had deteriorated behind the scenes.
The 42-year-old quickly cleared up those rumours on Instagram by issuing a firm denial.
Team Player Defence
Clear, who was Hamilton's performance engineer at Mercedes during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, spoke to talkSPORT about the media noise surrounding the driver. Asked if he thought it was part and parcel of being a Ferrari driver, Clear replied: "Yes, I think so. I think more so than you see in any other team. Lewis seems to have this media background conversation going on constantly about he's demanding this, he's demanding that."
He added: "I don't know where it comes from. It certainly doesn't come from Lewis, that's for sure. Lewis wants to create a team. He's very much a team player and it frustrates me when people think he's a bit of a prima donna. He is a team player and when you're on his team, you feel it very strongly, so Lewis will want to build a team. I think people are just creating noise."
Hamilton's Own Words
Hamilton made his feelings clear on Instagram in response to the initial reports, posting on his story to set the record straight. He wrote: "I've seen some of the stories that have gone out and I wanted to clear it up here. I've never asked for anyone on my team to be replaced. Everyone I work with works hard every day and their dedication is what moves us forward."
He continued: "I always try to empower and lift people to be the best versions of themselves or at least see the best in themselves. I may not always achieve that but it's my intention and it's what I'm here to do. We all work together and that will continue."
