Lewis Hamilton has publicly rejected claims he asked Ferrari to replace members of its operational staff, dismissing the reports as inaccurate in an Instagram statement on Thursday.
The seven-time world champion was responding to a story published by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on Tuesday, which alleged that Hamilton had been pushing team principal Fred Vasseur to overhaul trackside personnel. The report also suggested the relationship between Hamilton and Vasseur had become increasingly strained.
"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," Hamilton wrote, posting a photograph of himself alongside dozens of Ferrari staff members. "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."
Hamilton stopped short of directly addressing reports of a rift with Vasseur, but made clear his commitment to the team. "We all work together and that will continue."
The tension reports come during a difficult stretch for Hamilton at Ferrari. His radio communications in recent races have included pointed criticism of team strategy, notably asking whether he was being used as a "guinea pig" during last month's Dutch Grand Prix and protesting that teammate Charles Leclerc was allowed to hold him up.
Hamilton secured his first victory for Ferrari at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in June, but his momentum has stalled. A brake failure retirement at last week's Spanish Grand Prix left him 101 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, and he has not stood on a podium in five consecutive races. He remains third in the drivers' standings on 191 points, 24 ahead of Leclerc.
Sources
- https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1104763/1/lewis-hamilton-denies-wild-ferrari-f1-replacement-requests-amid-tension-reports
- https://abcnews.com/Sports/wireStory/lewis-hamilton-denies-sought-replace-staff-ferrari-f1-136532181
