Lewis Hamilton revealed he advised Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur to avoid being overly sensitive following a radio disagreement between the driver and his team during the Miami Grand Prix.
During Sunday`s race, Hamilton grew irritated when he caught up to his teammate Charles Leclerc, having better pace, but wasn`t immediately allowed to pass to pursue Kimi Antonelli`s Mercedes for sixth place.
The seven-time champion sent multiple radio messages showing his frustration as the pit wall delayed, initially refused, and eventually approved his request, by which time Hamilton believed his tires had lost too much performance.
Hamilton commented: “I lost significant time trailing Charles, and at that moment, naturally, I thought, `Come on, let`s decide quickly, let`s not waste time.` I`m aware some of my remarks might not have been popular, but you must realize it`s exasperating.”
Since the two Ferrari drivers began on different tire types, Hamilton, who started 12th, was on the faster medium compound after the pit stops, while Leclerc was on the harder compound.
After they both overtook Carlos Sainz at the same corner to claim seventh and eighth positions, Hamilton instantly asked the pit wall via radio to swap their positions.
He was instructed to wait, after which Ferrari informed him they would maintain the current positions and ensure he stayed within DRS distance of Leclerc.
Hamilton responded angrily, calling the decision “poor teamwork” and mentioned the Chinese Grand Prix, where he had offered to let Leclerc pass because his teammate was faster.
Ferrari subsequently changed their mind and swapped the drivers. Around this time, a radio message from Hamilton was broadcast, in which he said:
Have a tea break while you`re at it, come on!
Hamilton, feeling his tires were significantly degraded from being stuck behind Leclerc, couldn`t significantly close the gap to Antonelli. Later, he was instructed to let his teammate pass him back in the final laps.
After doing so, Hamilton sarcastically inquired if the team also wanted him to “let Sainz through,” upon being told the gap to the following Williams car.
Speaking to journalists in Miami, Hamilton was asked if he had spoken with team principal Vasseur before his post-race interviews.
He responded:
Fred visited my room. I just placed my hand on his shoulder and told him, `Dude, relax. Don`t take it so hard.` I could have said much harsher things over the radio. You hear what others have said before. Some of it was just satire. You need to understand the immense pressure we are under in the cars; you won`t always get the calmest messages during the heat of the race.
I Won`t Apologize for Being a Fighter!
Hamilton has experienced a highly frustrating beginning to his Ferrari tenure after his significant move to the Italian squad following 12 years at Mercedes.
Other than a Sprint pole position and win in China, the second race weekend of the season, the partnership between one of the sport`s most renowned drivers and teams has started rather poorly.
Hamilton`s best Grand Prix result was fifth place in Bahrain. Miami, however, marked a new low point for Ferrari, a team expected to compete for championships this year, as both the British driver and Leclerc had significant difficulties in qualifying.
Hamilton explained that much of his frustration on the radio on Sunday stemmed from the team`s overall performance issues, and he emphasized that he wouldn`t say sorry for “being a fighter.”
“I`m not sure what you`ll write or if you`ll deem me disrespectful, but I genuinely don`t believe I was,” he stated.
“I was simply thinking, `Come on, everyone. I aim to win.` I still possess that competitive drive. I felt it emerge somewhat during the race, and I won`t apologize for being competitive or for still having this desire.”
“I know everyone in the team shares that feeling. I genuinely believe that once we resolve some of the car`s issues, we`ll be back competing with Mercedes and Red Bull.”
“I just hope that happens soon. We`ll experiment with something new at the next event, and we`ll continue refining our procedures. I anticipate a time when perhaps I can contend for a podium finish; that would be pleasing.”
Leclerc: No Hard Feelings Towards Lewis
Leclerc had clearly performed better than Hamilton in the preceding three races but faced similar significant challenges in Miami, giving somber interviews on Friday and Saturday.
This time, the driver from Monaco was the calmer of the two Ferrari drivers on the radio, but he also questioned the team`s strategy decisions, much like Hamilton.
Leclerc said: “It`s a challenging situation. Unfortunately, I`ll give the unexciting answer and won`t say too much.”
“Clearly, this isn`t how we want to manage a race. We will discuss this internally to make improved decisions.”
“There are no hard feelings towards Lewis, none at all. It`s simply that as a team, we need to improve, and today demonstrated that.”
“I am doing my utmost. I am giving everything I have so we can become a better team, have a better car, and perform better ourselves. This is our primary focus.”
Marcus Prine