Lewis Hamilton has confirmed that Ferrari has not established formal rules of engagement between its two drivers, despite calling for such measures following his opening-lap collision with teammate Charles Leclerc at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The 41-year-old British driver and Leclerc have since held direct conversations to resolve the tension, with both acknowledging the need for clearer boundaries in future wheel-to-wheel racing.
The incident occurred at turn two on the opening lap when Leclerc forced Hamilton wide, a move the seven-time world champion felt crossed the line. According to reporting on the clash, Leclerc acknowledged after the race that the pair had raced "too hard" during the opening lap. Hamilton subsequently finished sixth at Monza, while Leclerc crashed out heavily on lap two, leaving Ferrari's home race in disarray.
Speaking ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring circuit in Madrid this weekend, Hamilton drew a stark contrast with his previous team.
When I was at Mercedes we had written rules of engagement. Here there are no rules. That's something that needs to probably change.He had made these comments immediately after Monza, expressing frustration at the absence of formal protocols governing driver interactions.
Have the drivers resolved their differences?
Hamilton and Leclerc have moved past the Monza incident through candid face-to-face discussions. The British driver praised his teammate's willingness to engage openly.
What's great is that there was no shying away from having a discussion. We sat face to face, just him and I, talked about it and we were just both open and honest. We squashed it and we can move on.
Leclerc took full responsibility for the contact.
I obviously know I went too far in turn two. I said it to Lewis and I think it's very clear what we should do or should avoid going forward.Hamilton acknowledged the maturity shown by his teammate in addressing the issue directly.
That shows the maturity from him. I think it's healthy. It's a relationship we have built over time. I'm sure there'll be more times where we're close because we're very close in pace. We both want to win just as much as each other and we both want to do well for the team as well. But it's real positive.
Will Ferrari implement formal driver rules?
Despite the positive resolution between the drivers, Hamilton was unequivocal when asked whether Ferrari had agreed to establish written rules of engagement.
There was not. I'm sure at some stage we'll discuss how we can be better, but we've not had a lot of time to just turn around. You can't change things in two days.
Hamilton held positive discussions with Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur about broader operational improvements, but formal driver protocols remain absent. The driver acknowledged that implementing systemic change at the Italian team would require time and sustained effort.
It's a longer term process, it's not something we can just change into this weekend. There's a huge amount of moving parts, there's a lot of people, there's a culture that's been there for a long, long time and moving big pieces is not so easy.
Hamilton's frustration with Ferrari's procedures extends beyond driver relations. Following Monza, he had called on the team to sharpen its operational and strategic execution to maximize points.
It starts with the acknowledgment which internally we have and so then it just comes to working out the solutions together and it just doesn't happen overnight. We'll probably try things and it still won't be good, but we'll eventually get to the point we need.
What is Hamilton's championship position?
Hamilton remains third in the drivers' championship, though his title prospects have narrowed considerably. According to 's championship standings, Hamilton trails the leader by 76 points following the Monza round. The gap has widened significantly from earlier in the season, when Hamilton urged Ferrari to fully commit to his title challenge, warning that his championship prospects were diminishing with each race.
Ferrari's performance at Monza had shown promise in the build-up to the race. Ferrari opened Monza with a strong one-two in first practice, with Leclerc quickest and Hamilton second. The team had introduced upgraded power units for both drivers, though Hamilton noted the improvements were incremental.
The upgraded engine was a step forward but not the whole amount we need.
What happens next for Hamilton and Ferrari?
The focus now shifts to Madrid, where the Hamilton-Leclerc relationship and Ferrari's broader operational challenges will face renewed scrutiny. The Spanish Grand Prix represents an opportunity for both drivers to demonstrate that their recent discussions have translated into more disciplined racing, while the team continues working toward the systemic improvements Hamilton has identified as necessary for a sustained title challenge.
