Ferrari did not lose control of the Mexican Grand Prix because their car was too slow. They lost it because their two drivers went to war while sitting first and second - and the team had no leadership.

Lewis Hamilton was left furious, understandably so after being forced wide by his own teammate, Charles Leclerc, whose actions in Monza also cost the team a shot of a victory. According to media reports in Italy, the knives have been out for boss Fred Vasseur for some time and he is widely expected to be stood down from his role as team principal at the end of this campaign.

After seeing his drivers implode once again, the Frenchman said: “When you are 1-2 at Turn 4, you don't imagine that you won't win the race.” But they cannot keep expecting the perfect result while leaving the rules of engagement unclear.

GPblog’s report on the opening-lap clash captured the moment Ferrari’s advantage became a fight between its own cars. Verstappen did not need an invitation. The opening was there, and he took it.

“Respect” is not a race plan

Vasseur called the incident “a matter of respect” not just between two drivers, but towards the thousands of people working to make Ferrari competitive.

He is right about the stakes. Every person at the factory wants the team to win. But telling Hamilton and Leclerc to respect that effort is only the first step. Ferrari need to spell out what that respect looks like at 300 kilometres per hour.

How much room must they leave? What risks are off-limits when Ferrari are running one-two? If one driver cuts a corner and gains an advantage, who decides whether to give the place back and how quickly?

If those answers are not clear before the lights go out, Ferrari are relying on two fiercely competitive drivers to improvise under pressure. Mexico showed the danger in that.

This is not about banning hard racing or handing one driver permanent priority. It is about making sure a battle between teammates does not hand the race to a rival. It should be explicitly clear.

Hamilton wants answers. Ferrari needs facts.

Hamilton was furious. He said Ferrari had lost a possible victory and called for serious discussions behind the scenes. His call for action reflects the frustration of a driver who believes the team let a crucial opportunity slip.

He later stressed that the drivers had to work together and warned against a repeat. Those comments make clear the issue will not simply disappear after one debrief.

But Ferrari cannot let the loudest complaint become the verdict. Vasseur said he had not yet spoken to the drivers: “Let me discuss with them first.” Why had he not spoken to them immediately after the race?

And what changes next time? If either driver thinks the rules are designed to protect the other, the agreement will be dead before the next race.

The pit wall cannot hesitate.

Ferrari also needs to fix their decision-making process. Leclerc’s position became more complicated once Verstappen had moved between the two Ferraris. Giving Hamilton the place back could also have meant giving Verstappen a place.

Vasseur pointed to a delay between the live action and the television pictures available to the team: “You have five seconds’ delay between the video and the reality.”

That explains the pressure on the pit wall. It does not remove the need for a plan. Also, if that is the case, that Ferrari are five seconds behind, then no wonder the strategy calls have been so painfully wrong.

Ferrari should rehearse these scenarios and make clear who makes the call, what the drivers are expected to do, and how long the team has to decide. If the pit wall cannot respond in time, the drivers need instructions they can follow without waiting for a radio message.

A five-second delay should not turn a clear team problem into a guessing game and the blame for this lies squarely with the team boss.

The car is working. Do not waste the progress.

The bitter irony is that Ferrari looked quick. Hamilton took pole, and the team had the race position they wanted. Vasseur said the team had made “a proper step forward in terms of performance” over recent events.

Ferrari does not need their drivers to want victory less. They need them to understand that taking risks against each other can cost the team the result and give it to someone else.

And for me, while the flashpoint will highlight tension within the team between its drivers, it also shows a dreadful lack of leadership from the very top.