Lewis Hamilton Denies Power Struggle Claims at Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton publicly moved to shut down talk of a power struggle at Ferrari, insisting he has “never asked for anyone on my team to be replaced” after reports in Italy claimed he wanted changes to his trackside crew.
The seven-time world champion, who joined Ferrari this season in one of the most seismic moves in modern Formula 1, was responding to a story in Corriere della Sera. The newspaper reported that Hamilton had pushed for alterations among Ferrari’s trackside personnel and suggested his relationship with team principal Fred Vasseur had cooled – a striking claim given Vasseur’s central role in luring him to Maranello.
Hamilton did not let the narrative run.
On Thursday he used his Instagram story to address the rumours head-on, dismissing them as false and offering a pointed defence of the people around him.
“I’ve seen some of the stories that have gone out and I want to clear it up here. I’ve never asked for anyone on my team to be replaced,” he wrote, before underlining his stance on how he believes a team should function.
“Everyone I work with works hard every day, and their dedication is what moves us forward.
“I always try to empower and lift people to be the best versions of themselves or at least see the best in themselves.
“I may not always achieve that but it’s my intention and that’s what I’m here to do.
“We all work together and that will continue.”
The message was short, sharp and deliberate: unity, not upheaval.
It arrives at a sensitive moment for Ferrari. The team has not stood on a grand prix podium since Spa in July, a barren run that jars with the optimism that greeted Hamilton’s arrival. The slump reached its most painful point at Monza, where Ferrari’s home race unravelled into what was widely viewed as an operational mess.
There, in front of the tifosi, Hamilton’s frustration crackled over the radio as he urged Ferrari to work together to fix recurring errors and poor execution. It sounded like a driver demanding higher standards from the organisation around him.
That, in some quarters, morphed into a story of a superstar agitating for heads to roll.
Hamilton’s intervention on social media draws a clear line. Critique the processes, yes. Question the commitment of the people beside him, no.
For a team chasing its way back to the front and a driver hunting an eighth title, how Ferrari responds to this difficult stretch – and how tightly it holds together under the glare – may define far more than a single season.
