Lewis Hamilton has made his position at Ferrari crystal clear, insisting he will not change his approach and vowing to keep "pushing for more changes" at the Scuderia. His comments come amid tensions between the team's two drivers after they fought each other but both lost the victory in the Mexico City Grand Prix earlier this month.
Internal talks and public unease
Internal talks have since been held, involving both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc as well as team principal Frederic Vasseur. While all three have said publicly that the matter has been resolved, there remains some public unease about the partnership.
Leclerc, 29, is in his eighth season with Ferrari and has a long-term contract, signed earlier this year, which is a clear signal of intention that he will lead the team into the future. Hamilton, 41, is a far more decorated winner in Formula One with seven world championships, but also a relative newcomer having joined in 2025.
Hamilton's stance on changes
Hamilton is also a shorter-term option, given his age. He is there to win a title with Ferrari before retirement and so expects to be given the chance to do so, but prioritising Hamilton or making too many more changes to accommodate him risks alienating Leclerc.
That is the difficult balance that Ferrari have to strike. Yet, Hamilton says he is not willing to back down and will keep pushing the team to make changes so they will be, in the Brit's opinion, better placed to fight for F1 glory.
Asked about coming in as an outsider compared to home-grown racer Leclerc and how it has affected his ability to make changes at Maranello, Hamilton told reporters: "He's been here a long time, for eight years and has nine wins with the team, and he is very much embedded within the team.
"I always knew that it would be a challenge. I've always respected that, and I've approached the team. I've really worked hard to build a good relationship with Charles, bridge the gap, and make sure that we're harmonious and we work hard together.
"I always try to be respectful and so, naturally, it's not so easy having someone like me come into a team because I'm very outspoken and I push and push and push. I've pushed for so many changes, and I'm going to be pushing for more, and as long as I'm here, that's how it's going to be."
Schumacher's warning
Hamilton added: "I'm here to win, and to be able to win, you have to work with everyone around you. You're all rowing, trying to get everyone to row at the same pace and with the same strength.
"You have to push, and I have to push. I have to be pushed, also, to elevate. We all can always elevate and be better, and I truly believe that this team can be fighting for the championship next year."
Meanwhile, Ralf Schumacher has warned Hamilton that, to earn number one status at Ferrari like his brother Michael used to have, he must better out-perform Leclerc going forward. The Brit is just 12 points better off than his team-mate and that is not enough, Schumacher said, for Ferrari to choose him as their number one.
He said: "The problem is that he is simply not fast enough compared to Leclerc. If he were clearly better than his team-mate, like my brother was back then, this discussion wouldn't even exist. He is the one causing it.
"[Hamilton must] always make sure he's ahead and be a second or half a second faster than Leclerc. Win every race or at least finish ahead of him – it's that simple."
