F1 drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have shed more light on their opening-lap scrap at Monza, whether Ferrari would establish clear rules of engagement going forward, and the discussions they have had with Team Principal Fred Vasseur ahead of the 2026 Spanish GP weekend.
Although the Scuderia had geared up for a celebratory home event—with a special livery dedicated to the legendary Michael Schumacher—their race weekend went sideways pretty quick and generated controversies both on and off the track.
After Leclerc and Hamilton had recovered from a tricky qualifying session to line up on the second row, the Ferrari duo went wheel-to-wheel as soon as the five red lights went out at Monza.
Hamilton launched an aggressive move up the inside of his teammate at the first corner. Since Leclerc held onto the inside line and encountered understeer, the Brit ran into the gravel at the exit of the chicane and lost several positions.
The 28-year-old initially concluded that both he and Hamilton had gone “too far” in their early battle through the opening corners. Meanwhile, the seven-time World Champion denied any culpability for the scuffle and called for clear-cut rules to be put in place for on-track encounters between the teammates.
Leclerc on rules of engagement at Ferrari after Monza incident and relationship with Hamilton
Speaking in a print media session prior to F1’s inaugural race weekend at Madring, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc referred to his Lap 1 clash with Hamilton at the 2026 Italian GP and acknowledged that seeing one’s teammate in the gravel isn’t ideal so far as rules of engagement are concerned.
The Monégasque admitted that his defense at Turn 2 was too aggressive and that he has had a conversation with Hamilton regarding how they should handle these battles going forward. Additionally, he maintained that there’s no ill will between the Ferrari pair and that the previous round’s incident wouldn’t have an adverse impact on the team.
“I mean, the rules of engagement, I think it’s kind of clear that we never want to see the car from the same team in the grass.
“After reviewing, we spoke with Lewis [Hamilton]. I obviously know I went too far in Turn 2, and I said it to Lewis. And I think it’s very clear what we should do or should avoid going forward. But I won’t go into much more details than of what we’ve said.
“The only thing I can say is that it definitely did not affect the good relationship that we have, and it will not affect anything going forward. And that is the most important for me, really.”
Leclerc accepts blame only for Turn 2 at Monza
Charles Leclerc conceded that Monza is the last place where they would want any intra-team controversies to overshadow the race weekend. However, he also pointed out that there are occasional clashes between other teammate pairings on the F1 grid as well and that it’s unfair when the media shines the spotlight only on the Ferrari duo.
Taking responsibility for his Turn 2 move once again, Leclerc restated that he cleared the air with Hamilton after reviewing the footage from the 2026 Italian GP.
“Of course, I mean, I know we are driving for Ferrari. And if there’s one race where you don’t want that to happen, it’s in Monza. And when these things happen at our home race, then it does a huge mess outside.
“However, I’m looking the race from outside. There’s been also some friction between other teammates. And the only thing we end up speaking of is Lewis and I, which I don’t think is quite right.
“But that doesn’t mean we did everything perfect. I didn’t in Turn 2. And for that, I’ve been straight away very clear with Lewis after reviewing the images.”
Leclerc calls out media sensationalism
Asked to comment on Hamilton’s move at Turn 1 in the previous round, Charles Leclerc refused to elaborate and called out the British media for fueling the narrative that he and his Ferrari teammate are at odds with each other.
Stating that both drivers discussed their respective views once the adrenaline had settled, the nine-time F1 race winner also remarked that such incidents occur from time to time when a line-up is closely matched on the track. At the same time, he confirmed that they will strive to steer clear of situations that compromise their teammate’s race in any capacity.
“I don’t want to talk about it because it feels then [leading], and I know it’s not a bad intention from you guys, but then in Britain, everything sounds like we are just going back and forth with Lewis, which is not the case.
“I think the most important [thing] is that we clarify the situation. We talked. I told Lewis how I felt. Lewis told me what he felt. And I think we fully agree with both of our views in hindsight when we speak without the emotions of the race.
“So, it happens. It’s not the last time that will happen, I’m sure, because it’s the kind of thing that happens in racing, particularly when we are starting so close to each other so often.
“But surely, it’s not a situation that we want to find ourselves in again. And that is very clear for Lewis and for myself.”
Whether Ferrari’s prestige caused the incident between Leclerc and Hamilton to get exaggerated
With regard to incidents between Ferrari teammates tending to get overblown and whether the Italian team’s stature in the F1 paddock contributes to fervent attention from the media, Charles Leclerc said that he didn’t want to minimise the repercussions of Hamilton momentarily ending up in the gravel on the first lap of the 2026 Italian GP.
At the same time, the Monte Carlo native noted the lack of dramatic headlines about the battles that took place between the teammates at Mercedes and McLaren and surmised that the media makes a mountain out of a molehill whenever Ferrari’s name is involved.
“Again, I need to be careful with that because surely it’s not to minimise the way that this unfolded. And as I said, it’s not acceptable to see Lewis going in the gravel, etc.
“But for sure, the proportions, as a matter of fact, are much bigger on our side compared to the two other teams that have had some [battles]. I mean, I didn’t follow the whole race, but the two other teams I saw that were fighting at the top, there wasn’t as much noise around.
“So, surely, the proportions that it takes when you are driving for Ferrari is much bigger, and particularly if we’re in Monza. But that’s not to minimise what happened. And yeah, it’s not something that should happen.”
Hamilton confirms no rules of engagement in place yet at Ferrari
Heading into the 2026 Spanish weekend, Lewis Hamilton also addressed the apparent conflict between him and teammate Leclerc and revealed that he has had a productive conversation with Fred Vasseur in order to clear the confusion. He said that he was particularly pleased with the progress they have made when it comes to internal communication.
“It’s been really positive. Spoke to Fred [Vasseur] on Monday, and we just had a and we just had a clearing out discussion. Naturally, we’re gonna always have different opinions. But at the end of the day, we come together, and we find a way forward.
“I think that’s the positives of where we’ve got to over the past 15 months or whatever it is. We’ve got to a place where we have really great communication internally, and the same with me and Charles [Leclerc].”
When asked about him wanting rules of engagement and if it was discussed, Hamilton responded, “It was not.”
The 41-year-old stated that he is simply concentrating his efforts on the upcoming race at Madring and that establishing new guidelines would require more time.
“Right now, I’m just trying to focus on having a better weekend this weekend. I’m sure at some stage we’ll discuss how we can be better, but we’ve not had a lot of time to turn around. You can’t change things in two days.”
Hamilton praises Leclerc’s maturity but says more scraps between the Ferrari teammates will happen
With respect to Leclerc shouldering the blame for going too far at Turn 2 and whether such honesty is key to keeping their relationship healthy, Lewis Hamilton praised his Ferrari teammate’s attitude in clearing up the tension.
Nevertheless, the 106-time race winner reckoned that such on-track clashes are inevitable when both drivers are really ambitious and demonstrate similar pace on the track. He added that this competitiveness ultimately bodes well for the team’s prospects.
“I think 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.
“That shows the maturity from him. I think it’s healthy. It’s a relationship we have built over time.
“Of course, there’s going to be frustrations. 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.”
