Lewis Hamilton has denied asking for a Ferrari team member to be replaced, issuing a statement on Instagram
Lewis Hamilton has moved to rubbish claims that he demanded the dismissal of a Ferrari staff member. Hamilton, 41, has secured just one Grand Prix victory this season and trails championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 99 points, following the latter’s switch from Mercedes last year.
His retirement in Madrid on Sunday followed a disappointing Italian Grand Prix where he collided with teammate Charles Leclerc and subsequently called on Ferrari to establish ‘rules of engagement’. The situation escalated on Tuesday when Italian publication Corriere della Sera alleged that Hamilton sought the removal of a trackside worker.
The newspaper also suggested that Hamilton’s rapport with Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur had deteriorated. However, the Brit has taken to Instagram to refute suggestions he requested a colleague’s dismissal.
“I’ve seen some of the stories that have gone out and I want to clear it up here,” Hamilton wrote. “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. 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 what I’m here to do. We all work together and that will continue.”
The seven-time world champion’s post was accompanied by a snapshot of himself with Ferrari team members, reports the Mirror. However, Hamilton found himself in a back-and-forth with his race engineer, Carlo Santi, just hours before qualifying in the Spanish capital.
Hamilton had collided with the barriers during practice, resulting in damage to his front wing, and he was instructed to leave the car in a safe spot. Yet the 41-year-old ignored Santi’s orders, insisting that he could return it to the Ferrari garage.
It was only after being asked five times that Hamilton finally halted the car. Santi became his race engineer earlier this year after he split from Riccardo Adami, who often butted heads with Hamilton during his inaugural season at Ferrari.
Before jetting off to Madrid, Hamilton held crucial discussions with Leclerc and Vasseur following their drivers’ collision in Monza. “What is great is that there was no shying away from having a discussion,” he said..
“We sat face to face, just him (Charles) and me, and talked about it and we were both honest and open and then we quashed it and moved on. That shows maturity from him and it is healthy. It is a relationship we have built over time.”
“Of course, there are going to be frustrations along the way. And there will be more times where we are close because we are approximate in pace and we both want to win as much as each other and do well for the team, but, yes, it is really positive.
“It has been really positive. I spoke to Fred on Monday and we had clearing out discussions. Naturally, we are going to have different opinions.
“But we come together to find a way forward and that is the positive of where we have got to over the past 15 months, when we can have really great communication internally and same with me and Charles. If you look at the history of the sport, this happened before, so it is no biggie.”