Carlos Sainz Downplays Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc Ferrari Tension

According to Motorsport.com, Sainz pointed out that competitive team-mates inevitably clash multiple times a year when fighting for race wins and podiums.

Sainz Draws on Four-Year Ferrari History to Defuse Tension

Sainz raced alongside Leclerc at the Scuderia from 2021 through 2024 before departing for Williams for the 2025 season, making way for the incoming seven-time world champion. During their four campaigns together, the pair finished closely matched on points, with Sainz accumulating 900.5 to Leclerc’s 1,029, which routinely sparked fierce wheel-to-wheel battles. Motorsport.com notes that such intensity occasionally boiled over, citing the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix where Sainz accused Leclerc of complaining excessively after a minor contact incident in Barcelona.

Reflecting on those years from Madrid, Sainz explained that internal disagreements are a natural byproduct of running at the front. As reported by Motorsport.com, he stated: It’s always the same case and I don’t know the way it’s being handled right now, but when I was there in Ferrari with Charles, we would always sort it out among each other and we would get on with it and yeah, we had a good time. He added that drivers fighting for top spots inevitably experience moments where one feels disadvantaged or the other is favored, but resolution usually follows a phone call the morning after.

Monza Collision Sparks Public Disagreement Between Leclerc and Hamilton

The latest intra-team flashpoint occurred during the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on September 6, 2026, when Leclerc barged Hamilton into the gravel at the start of the race. Leclerc subsequently crashed into the Parabolica on lap two, salvaging a third-place finish while Hamilton tumbled down to 10th. Post-race assessments from the drivers highlighted a sharp divide in how they viewed the incident, according to Motorsport.com coverage.

Leclerc conceded that both sides shared blame, admitting to Motorsport.com that we went too far. Hamilton, however, firmly rejected any shared responsibility for the opening-lap contact. As reported by Motorsport.com, the British driver stated: I was ahead in Turn 2, by the apex I was ahead, there was no ‘we’ in it. Hamilton further insisted that he races cleanly and leaves adequate space, noting that he had tried to remain respectful of team boundaries since joining Ferrari.

Hamilton Demands Clearer Rules of Engagement From Team Leadership

Beyond the Monza collision, Hamilton voiced broader frustrations regarding Ferrari’s operational execution and communication structures during the 2026 season. According to Motorsport.com, the veteran driver pointed the finger squarely at team principal Fred Vasseur, asserting that decisions and strategic consistency must come from the top. Hamilton referenced a previous incident at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, where a lack of team orders while he chased Leclerc ultimately compromised his race and left him crossing the finish line in fourth place.

To prevent future friction, Hamilton argued that Ferrari needs explicit internal guidelines, drawing a comparison to his tenure at Mercedes. Motorsport.com quotes Hamilton as saying, When I was at Mercedes, we had a written rule of engagement. We never really had it too bad. Maybe moments with me and Nico [Rosberg] a couple of times. But more often than not it was good. Here, there are no rules. These ongoing operational disputes have left Ferrari trailing 122 points behind Mercedes in the constructors’ standings ahead of the remaining rounds.