Ferrari has indicated that Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will remain free to fight for position after their intense duel at last Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Frédéric Vasseur acknowledged that the battle was not positive for the team, but said it was still too early to impose team orders and suggested Ferrari would intervene only when the situation demanded it.

The Italian GP was particularly damaging for Leclerc, who failed to score after retiring following a heavy crash at the Parabolica. Hamilton recovered from the opening-lap incident to finish sixth and score eight points for Ferrari.

After the race, Vasseur said he had spoken briefly with Hamilton but had yet to discuss the incident with Leclerc before addressing the question of team orders. He also pointed to McLaren’s 2025 championship fight as an example of why Ferrari does not want to make that decision prematurely.

“Now, to see if we [need to] have a team order or whatever, I think that the good comparison that I made was that last year,” Vasseur said.

“Piastri was leading McLaren at this stage of the season and if McLaren put everything on Piastri, Max Verstappen would have been champion.”

Vasseur acknowledged that Ferrari may eventually have to establish a hierarchy between its drivers, but insisted that Monza was too early for such a move.

“For sure, at one stage you have to take a decision, but I think it was too early to take a decision before Monza. Now I will have time to discuss with the guys,” he said.

The Ferrari boss’ argument comes after the team saw first-hand how an intra-team battle can damage its result at Monza. Leclerc and Hamilton fought intensely through the opening chicane, with Hamilton being forced onto the gravel at the exit of Turn 2. Leclerc later crashed at the Parabolica and retired.

Mercedes took a different approach during the race, eventually instructing Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell to avoid fighting each other directly. The team had also used team orders in the Dutch GP to protect its result.

Asked about the difficulty of freezing positions between team-mates, Vasseur emphasized that allowing drivers to race is normally the preferred approach.

“For a team, it’s never good to lose points. This is clear. Now, basically at the beginning of the season, I think every single team principal in the world would love to let them race,” Vasseur said.

“To freeze positions when you are the team principal, don’t imagine that it’s an easy choice. You do it for the team, you do it for the results at the end, but it’s never an easy call.”

Vasseur then made clear that his preference remains to give Leclerc and Hamilton as much freedom as possible.

“By definition, I would love to let them race all the weekend. Now, by reason, you have to take a decision at one stage. Each team is different. We will have to take a decision when we’ll decide,” he concluded.

The comments come after a difficult home weekend for Ferrari. Leclerc’s retirement and Hamilton’s sixth-place finish left the Scuderia unable to challenge for the podium at Monza, with Vasseur also admitting that the circuit exposed Ferrari’s weaknesses at high speed.

The F1 season continues this weekend with the Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s new street circuit from September 11-13. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action from the 14th round of the 2026 championship.

FAQ

Will Ferrari impose team orders on Leclerc and Hamilton?

Not immediately. Frédéric Vasseur said it was too early to establish a hierarchy between the two Ferrari drivers, although he acknowledged that the team will eventually have to make a decision if the championship situation requires it.

Why is Ferrari considering team orders for Hamilton and Leclerc?

The opening-lap battle at Monza cost Ferrari valuable track position and ultimately ended with Leclerc’s retirement. Vasseur said the outcome was “not good for the team”, but remains reluctant to restrict the drivers prematurely.

What happened between Hamilton and Leclerc at Monza?

Hamilton attacked Leclerc through the opening chicane, with the two Ferraris making contact as Leclerc defended. Hamilton was forced onto the gravel and lost positions, while Leclerc later crashed at the Parabolica and retired. Hamilton finished sixth.

Charles Leclerc deixou GP da Itália de forma precoce na quarta volta após batida (Foto: Reprodução/F1TV)

A Ferrari também teve um exemplo concreto de como uma disputa interna pode gerar perda de desempenho durante o GP da Itália. Leclerc e Hamilton protagonizaram uma batalha intensa nas primeiras voltas, enquanto a Mercedes optou por uma abordagem diferente ao longo da prova, com Andrea Kimi Antonelli e George Russell recebendo orientações para manter as posições e evitar uma disputa que poderia provocar perda de tempo.

Questionado sobre a possibilidade de adotar o mesmo procedimento na Ferrari, Vasseur afirmou que uma eventual ordem somente será estabelecida quando entender que o momento chegou. O francês também reconheceu que congelar posições entre companheiros nunca é uma decisão simples para um chefe de equipe.

“Nunca é bom para uma equipe perder assim, isso é óbvio. Basicamente, no início da temporada, acho que todo chefe de equipe no mundo gostaria de deixar seus pilotos correrem. Congelar posições quando você é chefe de equipe não é uma escolha fácil”, ressaltou.

“Você faz isso pela equipe, você faz isso pelos resultados finais, mas nunca é uma decisão tranquila. Por definição, eu adoraria deixá-los correr neste fim de semana. Agora, logicamente, uma decisão precisa ser tomada em algum momento, e cada equipe é diferente, então tomaremos uma decisão quando chegar a hora certa”, concluiu.

A F1 retorna neste fim de semana, entre os dias 11 e 13 de setembro, com o GP da Espanha na nova pista urbana de Madri. O GRANDE PRÊMIO acompanha todas as atividades da 14ª etapa da temporada 2026, AO VIVO E EM TEMPO REAL, além de classificação e corrida em SEGUNDA TELA no YouTube, em parceria com a Voz do Esporte. O Briefing chega para analisar após o fim de cada dia de atividades nas redes sociais e na GPTV.

GP da Espanha de F1: veja os horários no Brasil, Cabo Verde, Portugal, Angola e Moçambique:

Horários no Brasil*

Horários em Portugal e Angola

Horários em Cabo Verde

Horários em Moçambique

*Horários de Brasília