News Summary

Frédéric Vasseur has rejected Lewis Hamilton’s suggestion that Ferrari needs written rules of engagement between its drivers, arguing that the Scuderia already has clear principles governing how Charles Leclerc and Hamilton are expected to race.

Speaking to Motorsport.com on Thursday (10), Vasseur addressed the fallout from the Italian Grand Prix, where Leclerc forced Hamilton onto the gravel at Monza before crashing out himself. The Ferrari drivers subsequently met to discuss the incident, with Leclerc admitting in Madrid that he had gone too far.

The controversy had also raised questions about Ferrari’s internal management after Hamilton compared the situation with his previous experience at Mercedes, where written rules of engagement were in place.

Vasseur, however, believes the situation is being exaggerated.

Vasseur says Ferrari already has clear principles

According to Vasseur, the discussions with both drivers after Monza were constructive and focused on responsibilities that extend beyond any individual incident.

“We had some good meetings with Lewis and Charles. They cleared things up together and I reminded them of some fundamental principles of the way I manage the team. And I will continue to stick to them,” Vasseur said.

The Ferrari boss explained that one of his main principles is that everyone involved in the team must accept responsibility when something goes wrong.

“My job is to protect the hundreds of people in the team and to take responsibility. That is what I have asked the drivers to do as well: if we want to achieve results, we need to protect the team and each of us needs to take responsibility,” he added.

Vasseur cited his own approach to responsibility as an example. When Ferrari won in Melbourne two years ago through strategy, he sent strategy director Ravin Jain to the podium to receive recognition. When a strategy call went wrong, Vasseur said he was the one who faced the media and accepted responsibility.

The Frenchman therefore does not want criticism or disagreements between the drivers to become evidence of a wider crisis inside Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in the beginning of the Italian GP (Photo: AFP)

“The principles are clear” despite no detailed rulebook

Vasseur was particularly direct when asked about the lack of formal rules of engagement.

“To say that there are no ‘rules of engagement’ doesn’t reflect reality,” he said. “You can’t expect contracts to cover every possible scenario you might encounter on track, because inevitably everything would become a matter of interpretation.”

The Ferrari team principal argued that trying to write rules covering every possible racing situation would create more ambiguity rather than eliminate it.

“‘I was there’, ‘no, you were five centimetres further back’ — you don’t solve anything that way. The principles are clear and the drivers know them,” Vasseur said.

That approach means Ferrari does not intend to create a detailed set of instructions dictating how Leclerc and Hamilton must behave in every corner or every battle.

Instead, the team expects both drivers to understand the broader responsibilities that come with racing for Ferrari.

Ferrari maintains equal treatment for Leclerc and Hamilton

Vasseur also reiterated that Ferrari currently treats Leclerc and Hamilton equally.

“Ferrari drivers can count on equal treatment, then there may come a point when we have to make a decision if one of them is out of the fight,” he explained. “In that case, it will be my decision. But until that moment, the treatment will be equal.”

That position means Ferrari is not currently prepared to establish a permanent hierarchy between its two drivers.

Vasseur pointed to McLaren’s approach in the 2025 championship as an example of how a team may eventually have to intervene when the title picture becomes clearer. But he argued that Ferrari has not reached that point with Leclerc and Hamilton.

The Scuderia therefore intends to maintain the freedom of its drivers while retaining the authority to impose team orders if the championship situation eventually makes such a decision necessary.

Vasseur does not want to silence Ferrari drivers

The Ferrari boss also rejected the idea that his message to Leclerc and Hamilton is simply to avoid criticizing the team publicly.

“I’m not asking them not to be open or not to be tough,” Vasseur said. “But very often they are much calmer with us than they are when they go and speak to the press.”

He acknowledged that comments made immediately after a race can take on a different meaning once they reach the media.

Vasseur said Hamilton himself had pointed out that much of his Monza message had been positive, but that the negative portion became the headline.

“That’s part of the game,” Vasseur said.

The comments come after Ferrari endured a difficult home race at Monza, where Leclerc retired after his crash and Hamilton recovered only to sixth place. The result intensified scrutiny of Ferrari’s management, particularly after Hamilton called for improvements to the team’s operational and strategic processes.

The situation has since calmed, however. Leclerc accepted responsibility for his move on Hamilton, while the seven-time world champion said the two had spoken face-to-face and cleared the air.

Vasseur’s position is that the incident should therefore remain an isolated racing matter rather than become evidence of an internal breakdown.

Ferrari now heads into the first Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s new Madring circuit, where the team will try to recover from a disappointing Monza weekend. GRANDE PRÊMIO is in Madrid for the debut of the new circuit and will follow Ferrari’s weekend closely.

For more coverage, see GRANDE PRÊMIO’s Formula 1 coverage, including the latest developments involving Ferrari, Leclerc and Hamilton.

FAQ

Does Ferrari have rules of engagement between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc?

Ferrari does not have a detailed written rulebook covering every possible battle between Hamilton and Leclerc, but Frédéric Vasseur says the drivers follow clear principles regarding racing, responsibility and protecting the team.

Will Ferrari impose team orders on Hamilton and Leclerc?

Not at the moment. Vasseur says both drivers will continue to receive equal treatment until the championship situation reaches a point where Ferrari needs to make a decision.

What happened between Hamilton and Leclerc at the Italian GP?

Leclerc forced Hamilton onto the gravel at Turn 2 during the opening lap at Monza. Leclerc later admitted in Madrid that he had gone too far, while Hamilton said the pair had discussed the incident privately and cleared the air.