Lewis Hamilton accused Ferrari of operating without clear "rules of engagement" after a dramatic first‑lap incident with his teammate Charles Leclerc at the Italian Grand Prix. The former Mercedes driver, who will join Ferrari in 2025, attempted a bold inside move at the opening corner, only to be forced onto the gravel by Leclerc, who defended the inside line.
The episode saw Hamilton tumble from his fourth‑grid start to tenth place, forcing him to battle through the field before ultimately finishing sixth, while Leclerc initially held onto third before crashing on lap two, leaving the Scuderia with a disappointing home race. The dispute centred on what Hamilton described as a lack of written protocols within Ferrari. "When I was at Mercedes we had explicit rules of engagement," he said. "There were only occasional incidents, like the few times with Nico Rosberg, but overall the system worked.
Here there are no rules, and that needs to be fixed." Hamilton's comments were made in the wake of the incident, where he claimed he was ahead at the apex of Turn 2 and that the on‑track etiquette required Leclerc to give him space. Former world champion Nico Rosberg backed Hamilton, stating that the driver on the outside – in this case Hamilton – must be allowed to maintain his line if he reaches the apex first.
"Lewis was ahead going into the corner, so Charles had to leave room. He didn't, so it's 100 per cent Charles' fault," Rosberg asserted.
Not everyone agreed. Sky Sports analyst Martin Brundle argued that Hamilton's aggressive dive into Turn 1 set the stage, and that Leclerc was already ahead at the apex of the following corner. "Leclerc was far enough on the inside. I don't think he'd be penalised for that," Brundle said, adding that the under‑steer Leclerc experienced on the first lap was a normal occurrence and not a breach of any rule.
The race itself saw championship leader Kimi Antonelli surge from 19th on the grid to claim a stunning victory, extending his lead over Hamilton to 76 points. Mercedes secured a one‑two finish with George Russell taking second, pushing the Ferrari driver further down the standings.
The result also reignited the ongoing debate about whether Ferrari should favour Hamilton over Leclerc given the former's larger points haul. Hamilton, when asked if he should be given priority, replied that the team had moved past that discussion and that the focus now was on recovering lost points. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur cautioned against premature team orders, citing McLaren's 2023 experience when Oscar Piastri led the championship early in the season only to be overtaken by teammate Lando Norris and Max Verstappen later on. "It's too early to decide before Monza.
We have time to talk with the drivers," Vasseur explained, noting that the chaotic start to the race was not beneficial for the team. Leclerc acknowledged that both drivers had taken the battle too far, but he questioned who was feeding the narrative of an internal rivalry. He referenced the previous weekend at Zandvoort, where Hamilton was frustrated by being held up by Leclerc during a strategic shuffle.
"I don't know who's forcing the story that we're at odds," Leclerc said. "We certainly went too far at Monza, especially in Turn 1 and Turn 2, but the situation was already tense." Hamilton also expressed dissatisfaction with Ferrari's strategic choices during the race. He criticised the decision to keep him on a softer tyre after the early red flag and the missed opportunity to pit under a virtual safety car, which left him with worn rubber and little pace on the straights.
"It was one of the hardest things to swallow today," he told Sky Sports F1. "I gave everything, but we lacked straight‑line speed and became a sitting duck.
I think we should have been on the hard tyre after the restart, but then we would have needed to overtake, which was difficult from our position." Vasseur added that Ferrari's inherent lack of straight‑line speed made an extra pit stop a risky proposition. "We were ten seconds behind Max before the VSC and finished ten seconds behind. If we pit, we have to overtake, and overtaking is not our strong suit," he explained. Looking ahead, the Formula 1 calendar moves to Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix at the brand‑new Madring circuit.
All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW without a long‑term contract. The upcoming race will give both Ferrari drivers a chance to regroup, and the team will need to address the internal friction highlighted by Hamilton's remarks if they hope to compete for the championship in the remaining season.