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Lewis Hamilton has rejected the suggestion that a cultural problem inside Ferrari is preventing the team from making progress, after a difficult Italian Grand Prix ended with further scrutiny of its internal operation.
Ferrari’s home race unravelled on the opening lap. Hamilton tried to move up the inside of team-mate Charles Leclerc, leaving himself on the outside for Turn 2. Leclerc placed Hamilton on the gravel, costing him positions, before later crashing out of the race. Hamilton recovered to finish sixth, but the result dealt a severe blow to his already slim title ambitions.
Hamilton is now 76 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli — more than three grands prix’ worth of points — while Antonelli has won seven races to Hamilton’s one. The weekend also intensified attention on Ferrari’s approach to driver racing, with Hamilton arguing that there were “no rules” in the battle and calling for rules of engagement similar to those used by Mercedes in 2016.
The latest fallout follows Hamilton’s call for Ferrari to change its approach after the clash with Leclerc. Read more in our report on Hamilton’s demand for Ferrari rules after the Monza clash.
Speaking to the media for eight minutes in the driver audio pen, Hamilton pushed back when asked whether Ferrari had a cultural issue that was hindering its progress.
“I know what you guys are trying to do,” he said. “I don’t want to get into arguing and fighting about my team. At the end of the day, I’m trying my hardest to make this team and help this team get to where it needs to be.”
Hamilton acknowledged Ferrari had failed to deliver at Monza, but defended the effort being made by its personnel.
“We didn’t do so well [in the Italian GP] and it’s painful enough as it is to be badgering my guys. They go home to their families, and they’re working really, really hard,” he said. “Yes, we didn’t get it right. It isn’t good enough. But we’ll go back to the drawing board, and we’ll come back. We’ll show up with good energy in the next race.”
Asked what needed to change operationally, Hamilton pointed towards communication and procedures, while making clear where he believed responsibility began.
“Ultimately it comes from the top. It trickles down decisions — and so, it starts with Fred,” he said.
He added that Ferrari needed to change its methods rather than repeat the same process and expect a different outcome. Discussions will continue after the next race, with Hamilton seeking procedural changes to ensure the same problems do not keep happening.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.