Lewis Hamilton has revealed he told Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur not to “be so sensitive” following a radio dispute between driver and team during the Miami Grand Prix.
Hamilton became frustrated during Sunday’s race when he closed on team-mate Charles Leclerc with superior pace but was not immediately let through to attempt to chase down the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli for sixth.
The seven-time world champion sent a series of transmissions expressing his dismay as the pit wall hesitated, rejected and then finally granted his request, by which point Hamilton felt too much life had been taken out of his tyres.
Hamilton told Sky Sports F1: “I lost a lot of time behind Charles and in that moment, for sure, I was like ‘come on, let’s make a decision quick, let’s not waste time.’
“I’m sure people didn’t like certain comments, but you’ve got to understand, it’s frustrating.”
With the Ferrari pair having started on different tyre compounds, Hamilton, who had progressed from 12th on the grid, found himself on the faster medium compared to Leclerc’s hard following the only round of pit stops.
After they had both passed Carlos Sainz in the same corner to move into seventh and eighth, Hamilton immediately requested on team radio that the pit wall switch the cars.
He was told to wait, before Ferrari then told him they would stick with the current situation and ensure that he remained within DRS range of Leclerc.
Hamilton angrily replied that the call was “not good teamwork” and then referenced the Chinese Grand Prix, when he offered to let Leclerc through when his team-mate was going faster behind him.
Ferrari then changed course and switched the cars, around the time of which a radio message was played out of Hamilton saying: “Have a tea break while you’re at it, come on!”
Hamilton, who felt crucial life had been taken out of his tyres while he trailed Leclerc, was unable to make major inroads into Antonelli’s advantage, before being told to let his team-mate back through in the closing stages.
Having done so, Hamilton then sarcastically asked if the team wanted him to ‘let Sainz through as well’ when he was told of his margin to the trailing Williams.
Speaking to the written media in Miami, Hamilton was asked whether he had had an opportunity to speak to team principal Vasseur before conducting his post-race interviews.
He replied: “Fred came to my room. I just put my hand on his shoulder and said, ‘dude, calm down. Don’t be so sensitive.’
“I could have said way worse things on the radio. You hear some of the things other people have said in the past. Some of it was sarcasm.
“You’ve got to understand, we’re under a huge amount of pressure in the cars, you’re never going to get the most peaceful messages come through in the heat of the battle.”
‘I won’t apologise for being a fighter!’
Hamilton has endured a hugely frustrating start to his Ferrari career following his blockbuster switch to the Italian team after 12 years with Mercedes.
Aside from a Sprint pole and victory at the second round of the season in China, it has been a bleak beginning to the partnership between the sport’s most famous driver and team.
Hamilton’s best grand prix finish was fifth in Bahrain, while Miami actually represented a new low for Ferrari, who were expected to contend for titles this year, as both the Brit and Leclerc struggled badly in qualifying.
Hamilton explained that his much of his radio frustration on Sunday was caused by the team’s general struggles, and insisted that he wouldn’t apologise for “being a fighter”.
“I don’t know what you’re going to write or whether I was disrespectful or whatever, I honestly don’t feel I was,” he said.
“I was just like, ‘come on, guys. I want to win’. I’ve still got that fire in my belly. I could feel a little bit of it really coming out there, and I’m not going to apologise for being a fighter, I’m not going to apologise for still wanting it.
“I know everyone in the team does too. I truly believe that when we fix some of the problems we have with the car, we’ll be back in the fight with Mercedes, with the Red Bulls.
“It just can’t come quick enough. We’ll try something different at the next race, we’ll keep working on our processes. I look forward to a time when maybe I can fight for a podium, that would be nice.”
Leclerc: No bad feelings for Lewis
Leclerc had comfortably outperformed Hamilton during the previous three rounds but struggled similarly badly in Miami, giving downcast interviews on Friday and Saturday.
The Monegasque was on this occasion the more calm of the two Ferrari drivers over the radio, but joined Hamilton in questioning the team’s decision-making process.
Leclerc told Sky Sports F1: “It’s a difficult situation. I unfortunately will go for the boring answer and will not comment too much.
“It’s obvious that’s not the way we want to manage a race. We will discuss it internally in order to make better decisions.
“There are no bad feelings for Lewis, absolutely not. It’s just as a team we need to do better and today was a proof of that.
“I’m doing my best. I’m giving everything I have for us to be a better team, to have a better car, to be better. This is where our focus is.”
F1’s European season begins with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on May 16-18, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
