Lewis Hamilton has disclosed that he advised Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur not to `be so sensitive` after a radio disagreement occurred between the driver and the team during the recent Miami Grand Prix.
During Sunday`s race, Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, became frustrated. He had caught up to his teammate Charles Leclerc, showing superior pace, but was not immediately given permission to overtake in order to pursue the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli for sixth place.
Hamilton sent multiple radio messages expressing his dissatisfaction as the pit wall delayed, initially denied, and finally granted his request to switch positions. By the time this happened, Hamilton felt too much performance had been lost from his tires.
Speaking to media, Hamilton commented, “I lost significant time stuck behind Charles. In that moment, naturally, I was thinking, `Come on, let`s make a quick decision, let`s not waste time.`”
He added, “I`m sure some people didn`t appreciate certain remarks, but you have to understand, it`s a frustrating situation.”
The Ferrari pair started on different tire compounds. Hamilton, who had climbed from 12th on the grid, was on the faster medium tires, while Leclerc was on hard tires after the single pit stop phase.
After both drivers overtook Carlos Sainz at the same corner to move into seventh and eighth, Hamilton immediately requested a car swap from the pit wall over team radio.
He was initially told to wait, then informed by Ferrari that they would maintain the current positions but ensure he stayed within DRS range of Leclerc.
Hamilton reacted angrily, stating that the decision was `not good teamwork`. He referenced the Chinese Grand Prix, where he had offered to let Leclerc pass when his teammate was quicker behind him.
Subsequently, Ferrari changed their decision and swapped the cars. Around this time, a radio message from Hamilton was broadcast where he sarcastically said: `Have a tea break while you`re at it, come on!`
Hamilton felt crucial tire performance had been wasted trailing Leclerc and was unable to significantly close the gap to Antonelli. Towards the end of the race, he was told to let his teammate pass him back.
After complying, Hamilton then asked sarcastically if the team also wanted him to `let Sainz through as well` when he was informed of his distance to the trailing Williams driver.
When asked by reporters in Miami if he had spoken to team principal Vasseur before his post-race interviews, Hamilton replied, “Fred came to my room. I just put my hand on his shoulder and said, `Dude, calm down. Don`t be so sensitive.`”
He continued, “I could have said much worse things on the radio. You hear some of the comments others have made historically. Some of what I said was sarcasm.”
“You need to grasp that we are under immense pressure inside the cars. You`re unlikely to receive the most serene messages during the heat of competition.”
`I Won`t Apologise for Being a Fighter!`
Hamilton has experienced a challenging beginning to his career with Ferrari, following his significant move to the Italian team after 12 years at Mercedes.
Apart from securing a Sprint pole and victory at the second event of the season in China, the partnership between the sport`s most renowned driver and team has had a difficult start.
Hamilton`s best Grand Prix result so far was fifth place in Bahrain. Miami, however, marked a new low point for Ferrari, a team expected to be championship contenders this year, as both Hamilton and Leclerc faced significant struggles in qualifying.
Hamilton explained that much of his frustration on the radio during Sunday`s race stemmed from the team`s overall performance difficulties. He firmly stated he would not apologise for `being a fighter`.
“I don`t know what reports will be written or if I`ll be deemed disrespectful or anything, but honestly, I don`t feel I was,” he stated.
“I was simply saying, `Come on, team. I want to win.` That fire still burns within me. I could feel it really coming out there, and I refuse to apologise for being a fighter. I refuse to apologise for still having that desire.”
“I know everyone in the team shares that desire. I genuinely believe that once we address some of the issues with the car, we will be back contending with Mercedes and the Red Bulls.”
“It just can`t happen soon enough. We`ll experiment with something different at the next race, we`ll continue refining our processes. I anticipate a time when perhaps I can compete for a podium finish; that would be wonderful.”
Leclerc: No Ill Will Towards Lewis
Leclerc had comfortably outperformed Hamilton in the preceding three races, but he struggled similarly in Miami, giving subdued interviews on Friday and Saturday.
On this occasion, the Monegasque driver was calmer over the team radio than Hamilton, but he also questioned the team`s decision-making process.
Leclerc commented, “It`s a complex situation. I will, unfortunately, provide the unexciting answer and avoid commenting too extensively.”
“It`s evident that this is not how we ideally want to manage a race. We will discuss it internally to make improved decisions going forward.”
“There are absolutely no negative feelings towards Lewis. It`s simply that as a team, we need to perform better, and today demonstrated that need.”
“I`m doing my utmost. I`m dedicating everything I have for us to become a better team, to have a better car, to improve collectively. That is where our focus lies.”
