Lewis Hamilton and the Ferrari team became a significant talking point for negative reasons at the Miami Grand Prix, largely due to the seven-time world champion`s evidently frustrated radio communications.
Hamilton was running a different strategy, using a distinct tire compound compared to his teammate, Charles Leclerc. His frustration mounted after the race`s only round of pit stops when he quickly caught up to Leclerc but was not immediately permitted to overtake and pursue Kimi Antonelli`s Mercedes for sixth position.
The seven-time world champion sent multiple messages expressing his displeasure as the team on the pit wall delayed, initially refused, and eventually granted his request. By the time he was allowed past, Hamilton felt his tires had degraded too much.
Among his comments, he suggested that the team`s decision-making indicated `not good teamwork`. He also brought up a previous instance at the Chinese Grand Prix where he had promptly allowed a faster Leclerc to pass him.
Hamilton`s messages turned sarcastic while Ferrari deliberated, notably saying: “`Have a tea break while you`re at it, come on!`”
Later, after Ferrari instructed Hamilton to yield the position back to Leclerc, who showed stronger pace in the closing laps, the British driver sarcastically asked if the team also wanted him to `let Sainz through as well`, referencing the cars behind.
After the race, Hamilton downplayed the exchanges, mentioning he had told Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur not to be `so sensitive` about the radio traffic.
Hamilton defended his comments, stating, “`I could have said way worse things on the radio. You hear some of the things other people have said in the past. Some of it was sarcasm.`” He emphasized the intense pressure drivers face, explaining, “`You`ve got to understand, we`re under a huge amount of pressure in the cars, you`re never going to get the most peaceful messages come through in the heat of the battle.`”
Analysis of Hamilton`s Radio Tone
Speaking on The F1 Show, Sky Sports F1`s Ted Kravitz explored potential explanations for Hamilton`s `sassy and sarcastic` tone over the radio.
Kravitz suggested three possible scenarios:
- The first is that Hamilton feels comfortable and secure within the team and is confident enough to express himself directly without fear of negative repercussions.
- The second scenario is that he might be unhappy with the current situation and is attempting to push the team for improvement, possibly encouraging strategy head Ravin Jain to be more decisive and better connected with the race engineers.
- The third, less likely scenario according to Kravitz, is that Hamilton is simply unhappy and indifferent, resorting to criticism.
Identifying the Target of `You Guys`
Sky Sports F1`s Martin Brundle noted Hamilton`s use of the phrase `you guys` during his radio frustrations. Ted Kravitz believes this was directed at Ferrari`s strategy department, led by Ravin Jain, rather than Hamilton`s personal race engineer, Riccardo Adami.
Kravitz explained this is likely due to the strategy department at Ferrari being quite isolated from the race engineers. He described the setup where Jain and his team make strategy calls that engineers like Brian Bozzi (Leclerc`s) and Riccardo Adami (Hamilton`s) must follow, lacking strategic autonomy. He contrasted this with teams like McLaren, where engineers such as Will Joseph and Tom Stallard are more involved in strategy discussions.
Kravitz questioned why, if the strategy of starting on hard tires and potentially switching to mediums was considered, the strategy team hadn`t fully prepared for this scenario in their pre-race planning. He concluded that the separation likely explains Hamilton`s `you guys` comment, essentially urging the strategy team in their remote location to act faster and be more responsive.
Brundle`s Perspective on Ferrari`s Struggles
Martin Brundle suggests that the fundamental reason for Hamilton`s frustration is Ferrari`s underwhelming start to his tenure with the team.
Following Hamilton`s high-profile move after 12 years at Mercedes, expectations were high for Ferrari to challenge for the championship, especially after their strong finish relative to McLaren last season. However, aside from a Sprint race win in China, Ferrari has not genuinely competed for victory in the first six main races, with Leclerc`s podium in Saudi Arabia being their only one.
Brundle commented, “`I think it`s quite telling, the sarcasm of the messages, and how upset Lewis is.`” He felt Hamilton must have been deeply frustrated racing for 23 laps behind Esteban Ocon in a customer Ferrari (referencing the Haas team`s resources compared to Ferrari`s). He stated that being stuck behind a Haas is not where Hamilton would have anticipated being this season, suggesting his mood was understandably poor.
Despite Ferrari`s difficulties, Brundle cautioned against impulsive reactions like dismissing team principal Fred Vasseur, even as Vasseur is likely to face increased scrutiny at Ferrari`s upcoming home race in Imola.
Brundle added, “`Of course they`re going to be super unhappy at Ferrari. They expect to be contenders for the championship, especially with a line-up of Leclerc and Hamilton.`” He strongly advised against the team acting like a `football team` by making hasty personnel changes just for the sake of it, noting that such moves rarely lead to improvement and other teams have failed by doing this.
He concluded by highlighting Ferrari being potentially the fifth-fastest team as a major issue that they must address. Brundle believes they would improve the car if they knew how, and anticipates significant internal discussions will be necessary at Ferrari.
Gilbert Pendleton