The tension inside Ferrari’s garage just went up a notch. Lewis Hamilton has reportedly asked team bosses to throw their full support behind his fading championship dream — a request that could put him on a collision course with Charles Leclerc at Monza.
Ferrari has operated with both drivers on equal terms all season, but Hamilton is now pushing for a change of approach. The seven-time world champion wants the team to rally around his pursuit of an eighth title, according to his own words after qualifying.
The British icon will start Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix from fourth place, with Leclerc lining up directly ahead in third. The order shifted when Oscar Piastri received a grid penalty that dropped him to sixth.
When it comes to the championship picture, Hamilton finds himself tied with George Russell for second place. The gap to leader Kimi Antonelli sits at 59 points, though Antonelli’s chances took a hit when an engine change forced him to start from the very back of the grid.
That opening has Hamilton believing a comeback is still possible — but only if Ferrari shifts its priorities.
“There’s light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s getting dimmer the further we get through,” Hamilton said. “At the track, we need to come correct and act accordingly to make sure we get the result we need. We’re at a point in the year where 59 points is a huge deficit to recover from, especially when Mercedes continue to be the leaders in speed.
So yeah, we do have to work as a team.”
That request, however, may not get the green light.
Leclerc holds a long-term contract and has been the anchor of Ferrari’s plans for years. Backing Hamilton’s title push now, while Leclerc remains 28 points behind in the standings, would risk alienating the driver widely seen as the team’s future.
Hamilton’s frustration was already bubbling during qualifying. He came within 0. 001 seconds of elimination in Q2, while Leclerc barely slipped through with just 0.
008 seconds to spare.
“The car felt really good in practice and then, in qualifying, I didn’t change anything so I felt good going into Q1, and Q1 was solid,” Hamilton explained. “And then we sat and waited, we waited very long in the pit lane for the first run of Q2 and, for some reason, we just didn’t have the pace.”
He also pointed to a messy Q3 execution that left him isolated on track without a reference car to follow, breaking his rhythm at the worst possible moment.
Looking ahead to race day, Hamilton acknowledged the mountain in front of him, especially with Mercedes power giving rivals the edge on the straights. Still, he praised his team for bringing an upgrade to Monza and remains hopeful for circuits that rely less on raw engine strength.
With the home crowd roaring for Ferrari and title hopes hanging by a thread, one big question remains: will the team actually listen to its newest star, or protect the one it’s already built its future around?
