Lewis Hamilton’s ongoing on-track battles with Charles Leclerc in 2026 have sparked calls for Ferrari to step in, but Ralf Schumacher believes that might not be so straightforward.
The seven-time world champion looks revitalised under the new rules, and the SF-26 now seems to fit his style much better. He’s closed the gap to Leclerc and even ended his long Ferrari podium drought with a strong finish in China.
In the first three races, Hamilton has had some intense fights with his teammate. While these battles can be exciting for fans, like at Suzuka, they don’t always help the team. There’s also talk that Hamilton’s contract may limit Ferrari’s ability to use team orders.
After Suzuka, Hamilton was frustrated by what he felt was a power advantage for Leclerc, especially down the straights. While Leclerc finished third and Hamilton sixth, both drivers came away irritated by how it unfolded.
The Monegasque driver wasn’t happy either, feeling that their fight cost him time against the leaders. Timo Glock called for Ferrari to step in with team orders, but Schumacher isn’t convinced that would work given Hamilton’s influence within the team.
Ralf Schumacher thinks Ferrari won’t be able to stop Lewis Hamilton’s contract blocking team orders
During an appearance on Backstage Boxengasse, the former F1 driver suggested that Hamilton’s contract could prevent Ferrari from stepping in during his on-track battles with Leclerc, giving him more authority than team boss Fred Vasseur.
“I’m actually of the opinion – although I’ll obviously get a storm of criticism for this again, but I don’t care – that although Lewis Hamilton is clearly back in the mix this year, which I’m very happy about, he’ll also have contracts that allow him to do exactly that,” said Schumacher.
“And I could imagine that even if Fred wanted to, he wouldn’t be able to say anything, because I believe Lewis Hamilton can decide for himself what he needs to do. He’ll enjoy a certain number one status, I can almost imagine.”
“That’s why Ferrari doesn’t stand a chance. He’ll decide that on his own. But of course that causes a stir in the team. It stirs things up a bit.
“So yes, it happened once or twice, but that’s just how it is; I mean, I’m saying now that you should handle it differently. “I think it’s down to the contract situation. And this is actually the main problem – you mustn’t underestimate that sort of thing.”
Ferrari team principal fine with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc racing
In Australia, Leclerc said over the radio that he enjoyed his on-track fight with Hamilton. But just two races later, both drivers were frustrated, especially Leclerc, who felt he was losing time in the back-and-forth.
Despite those frustrations, Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has no problem with his drivers racing each other. He’s more concerned about maintaining a positive relationship between them than stopping the battles.
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