Hamilton: “I Never Asked for Anyone to Be Fired”
Lewis Hamilton has come out to address the rumors that pointed to an internal crisis at Ferrari. The seven time world champion flatly denied that he has requested the dismissal of any member of the team, thus denying the information published by Corriere della Sera, which suggested that the Briton was pressing for changes to be made in the team's structure.
"I have seen some of the news that has come out and I want to clarify it here. I have never asked for anyone on my team to be replaced, all the people I work with give their maximum effort every day and that dedication is what makes us move forward. I always try to empower and encourage people to give the best of themselves or at least see the best in themselves. I may not always achieve it but that is my intention and what I am here for. We all work together and that will continue to be the case" declared Hamilton through his social media.
The origin of the controversy goes back to the second half of the season. Some team decisions have not pleased Hamilton, such as in Zandvoort, where he complained over the radio because he considered that Ferrari was keeping him too long behind Charles Leclerc. In Monza the Monegasque had a contact with the Briton on the first lap and Hamilton even pointed out that it was Frédéric Vasseur's responsibility as team principal to manage what happened. These situations, added to the results below expectations, fueled speculation about a possible rupture in the relationship between Hamilton and the team.
However, the Briton has wanted to make it clear that there is no personal crisis. The relationship between Hamilton and Vasseur goes back many years, when the Frenchman was his boss at ART Grand Prix during the season in which the Briton won the GP2 in 2006. That connection, built on years of joint work and mutual respect, has not been broken: "That doesn't mean we agree on absolutely everything, in a racing team it is normal for there to be discussions about strategy, development or performance. The important thing is to distinguish between normal sporting disagreements and a rupture of the personal or professional relationship" reflected Hamilton.
It is true that Hamilton and Ferrari made adjustments to their working structure for 2026. After a disappointing first season in 2025 in which the Briton failed to score any podiums and finished sixth in the championship, 86 points behind Leclerc, the team decided to change race engineer. Riccardo Adami left his position and was replaced by Carlo Santi and Cedric Grosjean, these changes responded to the need to improve performance and communication, not an internal purge.
Hamilton has shown at all times his commitment to the Ferrari project, his goal remains to return the Scuderia to the championship fight and for that he trusts in joint work with Vasseur and the rest of the team.
The rumors about an alleged internal crisis have only reinforced his determination to clarify the situation and maintain unity at a key moment of the season. Ferrari faces the last races of the year with its sights set on 2027 and internal harmony will be fundamental to achieving the objectives.
