Hamilton Contract Limits Ferrari Control as Leclerc Tensions Grow
Apr.8 - Ralf Schumacher believes Lewis Hamilton's contract could be limiting Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur's ability to control the increasingly fierce on-track battles with Charles Leclerc.
The Ferrari pair have raced wheel-to-wheel aggressively in the opening rounds of 2026, including a particularly close duel in Suzuka where Leclerc overtook Hamilton around the outside of Turn 1.
"Our cars touched in the chicane - I was even afraid I'd gotten a puncture," Leclerc admitted afterwards.
Former driver Timo Glock warned the situation could spiral if left unchecked.
"The line must be drawn very clearly when the team is at a disadvantage," he told Sky Deutschland
"If the two cars are getting in each other's way and losing battery power, if ultimately the team loses positions as a result, then the team management must intervene.
"Ferrari needs to take a firm stance here, because that was really pushing the limits. The rule of thumb among the racing teams is - a duel is okay, but contact is unacceptable."
He added a stark prediction: "My gut feeling is that we'll see them both in the gravel trap after a collision at some point."
Glock also noted Hamilton's resurgence in 2026.
"Charles Leclerc is still a bit more consistently fast, but Lewis Hamilton is definitely back where we all want to see him - confident and enjoying racing."
However, Schumacher thinks the situation may be more complicated behind the scenes.
"I believe, even though I will probably get some criticism for this, that while Lewis will clearly be competing at the front again this year, he also has a contract that allows him to do exactly that," he said.
"I think even if Fred Vasseur wanted to say something, he couldn't. That's why Ferrari has no chance. Hamilton will decide for himself.
"Of course, that has an effect on the team - the mechanic, who gives his all from morning till night, and then he sees these two battling drivers losing seconds, possibly even parts, because they're crashing into each other. That creates unrest."
5 F1 Fan comments on “Hamilton Contract Limits Ferrari Control as Leclerc Tensions Grow”
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That's an interesting prediction - there aren't that many gravel traps any more...
Ralfi I didn’t know you were privy to Ferrari contracts, or are you making up stories again?
That's what he does. It explains his erratic driving - while Michael was hard at work on improving the car and himself, Ralp was off imagining things like going past his team mate without causing a catastrophe!
Of course, just making up stuff since he isn’t privy to contract contents any more than any other third party.
though with so few gravel traps these days, it’s not exactly a bold prediction. And as for the Ferrari contract talk, that sounds more like guesswork than inside knowledge. Then again, that kind of storytelling probably explains the inconsistency — while some drivers focused on improving themselves and the car, others seemed more occupied with imagination than execution like delta