Ferrari have been urged to threaten Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc with being sent home if they again undermine the team's efforts on track, following a costly clash during the Mexico City Grand Prix.
The row stems from a race the Scuderia should have won but which went to Max Verstappen. Hamilton started from pole for the first time in his Ferrari career, while Leclerc moved up to second by the first corner. On a circuit where overtaking is difficult, Ferrari appeared well placed for a one-two finish.
First-Lap Clash Costs Ferrari
It unravelled on the opening lap as Leclerc challenged Hamilton for the lead. The move ended with Leclerc cutting a chicane to avoid contact, earning a five-second time penalty. In the melee, Verstappen slipped between the two Ferrari drivers and inherited the lead when Leclerc served his penalty. Hamilton finished second, Leclerc fourth, and team principal Frederic Vasseur was left furious.
Vasseur said afterwards that he saw his drivers' actions as a lack of respect towards Ferrari's 2,000 employees who had worked to put the team in a position to win. Hamilton accused his team-mate of "working against" him, while Leclerc admitted he deserved a penalty but defended his decision to attempt the overtake.
Steiner Backs Hard-Line Approach
Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, who knows Vasseur well, said the Ferrari chief faces a difficult problem. "It's a fantastic problem to have for Fred, but it's a very not so fantastic problem to have," Steiner said. "It's a fantastic problem, because you've got two drivers which actually have the talent to win races, but they get in the way of each other. But I always say, would you rather have one driver which is as good as either of them?"
Steiner suggested Vasseur should take a hard line if the situation recurs. "I think at some stage, Fred will say, 'Hey guys, if you don't work for the team, we send you home'. Otherwise, he tears his last hair out he has got," he added.
Rosberg Calls for Clear Rules
Nico Rosberg, who partnered Hamilton at Mercedes, said Vasseur must clarify "what is acceptable and what is not" to prevent the situation escalating. "Fred Vasseur, he needs to start to act. Once again, as Lewis said before the race, there was no discussion, like clear racing guidelines between the two. It needs to happen, otherwise it's going to keep going like this," Rosberg said.
He warned that without intervention, the rivalry could worsen. "It gets really bad when the drivers take it in their own hands and disregard whatever has been discussed and just take it in their own hands and sort it out on track and barge the other guy out the way. That can very quickly happen and it's already kind of happening," he said.
