Close your eyes and imagine Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc fighting to become Ferrari's first Formula 1 world champion in two decades next year. What's the first image that comes to mind?

If it's a repeat of last weekend's Mexico Grand Prix, or their skirmish at the start of Ferrari's home race in Monza, then you're not alone. If Hamilton and Leclerc aren't able to fight over the scraps this year in a fierce but respectful fashion, a bona fide title fight with the best car of the pack risks devolving into carnage, broken dreams and a fractured team.

In the absence of clear rules of engagement until now, that's exactly what Ferrari must move to avoid.

In the margins of Kimi Antonelli's historic world title at the age of 20, the other storyline in Mexico could have been Ferrari finally capitalising on its improved car performance to snare a third win of 2026. Potentially even a 1-2. Something to add a bit of sugar to vice chairman Piero Ferrari's bittersweet feelings witnessing Italy crown its first world champion since 1953, yet for a German manufacturer.

That all came undone in Turn 4, when Hamilton and Leclerc fought so hard for the lead that neither driver kept it on the island. Hamilton lost momentum and lost position to Red Bull's Max Verstappen, while Leclerc was never going to make the corner to begin with, cut the track and ended up in a temporary lead.

Leclerc was handed a lenient five-second penalty for gaining a lasting advantage, which ended up costing him the lead to eventual winner Verstappen on a track where overtaking is extremely difficult.

Ferrari lost a straightforward win from pole in Mexico

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The entire event was a bad look for Ferrari. Leclerc was chiefly responsible for Mexico's altercation, and following an incident at the start of the Italian GP, it's not the first time this season that it feels like the long-time Ferrari stalwart is racing Hamilton harder than rivals from other teams. Quite why that is the case is something team boss Fred Vasseur, and even more so the people above him, may want to try and answer.

Hamilton's subsequent lobbying for his team-mate to be penalised was hardly a sign of harmony either, and pointed to deeper rooted frustration over the absence of clear rules of engagement. Rules of engagement Hamilton clearly feels are needed predominantly to hem in his team-mate.

"The guy is 28 years old, so I don't think it's an age thing. I think it's a mentality thing," Hamilton said. "It's like, ‘Do or die. Either I win or none of us do’, and it shouldn't be that. It should be us getting that one-two."

"This is typically what respect means – that they are not working for themselves, they are working for a group, they are working for a lot of sponsors, they are working for the 2,000 people of the company" Fred Vasseur

Vasseur was clearly furious over what he felt was a lack of respect for the 2,000 odd people working at Maranello and at the track to put Leclerc and Hamilton in a position to fight for wins in the first place. Despite clear technical progress with the SF-26, those opportunities have been hard to come by in 2026, and Mexico is not the first one the team has squandered.

"I'm a bit frustrated because we did a proper step forward in terms of performance the last couple of events," Vasseur said. "When you are 1-2 at Turn 4, you don't imagine that you won't win the race.

"This is typically what respect means – that they are not working for themselves, they are working for a group, they are working for a lot of sponsors, they are working for the 2,000 people of the company; the guys, when we had to push for the upgrades, they were working night and day, and we have to keep this in mind."

Ferrari remains on just two wins for the 2026 season

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There is a reason why having two number one drivers is so rare. Not only is it infrequent for both to remain finely poised rather than one starting to get the upper hand over the other. It is also deeply uncomfortable, with a risk of tearing the team apart.

Mercedes found out the hard way in 2016 with Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. McLaren did over the past two seasons when Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were starting to contest race wins and, last year, the world championship. And while the team was criticised for its approach, Andrea Stella and Zak Brown by and large made things work to the point where both drivers are still able to co-exist despite the odd flare-up such as the most recent Singapore GP.

Last weekend's Ferrari incident bore an uncanny resemblance to the 2024 Italian Grand Prix, when an aggressive move by Piastri on Norris at the second chicane saw Norris lose momentum, and second place to Leclerc. Leclerc went on to win as McLaren snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, prompting talks behind the scenes and the public debut of McLaren's infamous ‘papaya rules’.

If this year's Monza race was a first warning shot for Ferrari, then Mexico feels like Maranello's own ‘papaya rules’ moment. And while Leclerc shoulders the brunt of the blame for his aggression and losing sight of the bigger picture, he doesn't deserve to be vilified either. That's exactly what a racing driver is wired to do. If Mexico happened, then it's because team management allowed it to happen and didn't set clear enough boundaries after the events of Monza, or wasn't able to get through to Leclerc.

What comes next will be uncomfortable. But with Leclerc and Hamilton both committed to Ferrari for the future and Maranello keen on using its progress in 2026 as a launchpad to a title bid next year, that's exactly why it's so key to have those talks now.

A brand with the history and pedigree of Ferrari demands it. It is bigger than either driver.

Antonelli's coronation means 2027 will mark 20 years since Raikkonen became Ferrari's most recent drivers' world champion

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