Lewis Hamilton has called on Ferrari to establish written rules governing how its drivers race each other after a first-lap collision with teammate Charles Leclerc wrecked the latter’s Italian Grand Prix and further damaged Hamilton’s hopes of challenging for the Formula One world championship.
Hamilton and Leclerc made contact during the opening lap at Monza, with Hamilton running off track and losing several positions. Leclerc was forced out of the race after crashing on the following lap. Hamilton recovered to finish sixth.
The incident overshadowed Ferrari’s home race and left Hamilton increasingly frustrated with how the team manages competition between its two drivers.
Hamilton said Ferrari needs clearly defined “rules of engagement”, contrasting the situation with his years at Mercedes, where he said such rules were established in writing.
The seven-time world champion also rejected the suggestion that the collision was simply a case of both drivers sharing responsibility.
Hamilton maintained that he was ahead entering the second part of the opening chicane and believed he was unfairly pushed off the circuit. Leclerc, meanwhile, characterised the incident differently, creating an immediate flashpoint inside Ferrari.
Hamilton’s sixth-place finish was costly in the championship.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli won the race after starting deep in the field, while Hamilton ended the afternoon 76 points behind Antonelli, who leads the championship. Ferrari remains second in the constructors’ standings behind Mercedes.
The result also prompted Hamilton to concede that his hopes of winning the 2026 world championship are effectively over, adding another layer of disappointment to a difficult afternoon at Ferrari’s home circuit.
The Monza collision was particularly damaging because both Ferrari drivers had already won races this season and the team entered its home Grand Prix with championship ambitions.
Instead, Leclerc left the race early, Hamilton salvaged sixth and Ferrari was left dealing with questions about internal driver management.
Hamilton’s message to Ferrari was therefore broader than a complaint about one incident.
He wants clearer boundaries over how the team’s drivers are allowed to race each other before another collision costs Ferrari valuable points.
At Monza, the price was high: one Ferrari out, the other compromised, and Hamilton’s championship hopes badly weakened.
