For many F1 fans, the battles between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were one of the highlights of the opening races of 2026. Both were able to compete for podium places several times. During the first race weekend in Australia, the Ferrari drivers themselves still spoke of a ‘fun battle’, but in Japan there was already talk of frustration, particularly with Leclerc. According to Ralf Schumacher, however, it is difficult for the team to intervene due to contracts with Hamilton.
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Lewis Hamilton seems to have found his old form again in 2026; the new cars suit him well so far. In Shanghai, he also secured his first podium with Ferrari, something he could only dream of in his debut season in red. During the last GP in Suzuka, however, things went less smoothly for both Ferrari drivers. Although Leclerc crossed the finish line in third, he complained afterwards that he was held up during the race by his teammate, who finished sixth.
‘Hamilton enjoys number one status’
Some experts claimed that Ferrari should have intervened with team orders, but Ralf Schumacher suspects that Hamilton would block such a request. In the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, he suggested that Hamilton contractually has the power to stop Ferrari’s interference. “I will undoubtedly get a storm of criticism for this again, but I don’t care,” the German began. “While I like that Lewis Hamilton is competing for the title again this year, I also believe that his contract supports him in that.”
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Schumacher explained: “I can imagine that Fred (Vasseur, ed.) might want to intervene, but that he is powerless. Lewis Hamilton decides for himself what he does. He clearly enjoys number one status. So Ferrari doesn’t stand a chance the moment they want to implement team orders. Hamilton decides, but at the same time that also causes a stir within the team. They have already clashed with each other once or twice. But that has everything to do with the contract situation; you really shouldn’t underestimate that.”
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