Ferrari Engineer Blasts Vasseur Over Late Hamilton-Leclerc Call

Fred Vasseur is reportedly discussing new Ferrari racing rules after the Mexico City Grand Prix controversy between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

The Ferrari team principal is holding talks aimed at resolving the conflict between his two drivers, according to Daily Mail Formula 1 correspondent Jonathan McEvoy.

The reported discussions represent a possible shift in Vasseur's management philosophy.

Until now, he has resisted calls to introduce formal instructions governing how his drivers compete against each other.

Vasseur has preferred to allow Hamilton and Leclerc to manage their on-track battles through mutual respect and professional judgment.

He has believed that two vastly experienced Formula 1 drivers should be capable of competing without detailed written instructions.

Another concern has been that formal regulations could themselves become a source of disagreement.

Drivers might interpret individual provisions differently when fighting for position.

However, the events of the Mexico City Grand Prix have placed that approach under renewed scrutiny.

The dispute erupted during the opening lap at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Charles Leclerc initially attempted to overtake Hamilton at the first chicane.

When that move failed, Leclerc tried another at turn four.

Both drivers ran wide.

That allowed Max Verstappen to snatch second place from Hamilton.

Leclerc was subsequently hit with a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

A potential Ferrari one-two evaporated.

Verstappen won the race.

The post-race debrief was reportedly 'very tense,' according to F1 Oversteer.

Leclerc had a 'face like thunder' in Ferrari's hospitality afterward, the same report states.

He tried to downplay the incident in the media.

Hamilton was originally tight-lipped on Leclerc's move but eventually criticized his teammate's 'do or die mentality.'

He suggested Leclerc had not put the team first.

This clash had echoes of the start at Monza earlier in the season.

There, Hamilton was the driver on the attack and ended up in the gravel due to Leclerc's ruthless defending.

After that race, the seven-time world champion called for 'rules of engagement' at Ferrari.

He had similar rules at Mercedes, where then-chief strategist James Vowles wrote the 'base fundamentals.'

Vasseur resisted those calls at the time.

Now, according to McEvoy's report, Vasseur is conducting talks about how to put the conflict to bed and draw up rules of combat that work best for the team.

No final agreement has been announced.

But the reported discussions indicate a willingness to reconsider a management approach that has struggled to prevent repeated confrontations.

Nico Rosberg, Hamilton's former teammate, has said Ferrari are 'headed for disaster' unless Vasseur lays down the law.

The situation is complicated by internal team dynamics.

Leclerc is apparently being 'protected' by key 'factions within Ferrari' after eight seasons at the team, according to McEvoy's report.

This has bothered Hamilton.

F1 legend John Watson explained on the Drive to Wynn podcast that there is a 'Leclerc faction' well connected through former Ferrari team principal Jean Todt and Nicholas Todt, who manages Charles Leclerc.

Vasseur has acknowledged that the transition has been harder than expected.

In an interview published Wednesday with Automoto.it, he admitted that Ferrari underestimated how hard it would be for Hamilton to join a team that worked in a completely different way.

'I admit that we underestimated the challenge he faced in joining a completely different team,' Vasseur told Automoto.it.