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Lewis Hamilton has been warned he could be sent home by Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur if tensions with Charles Leclerc continue to escalate, following crisis talks between the pair ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix. Former Haas boss Guenther Steiner believes Vasseur may be forced to take drastic action if his drivers fail to put the team's interests first. The warning comes after Hamilton and Leclerc clashed during the opening lap of the Mexico City Grand Prix, with both drivers left furious following their on-track battle. The Ferrari duo went wheel-to-wheel at Turns 1 and 4, with Leclerc emerging in the lead despite receiving a five-second penalty, while Hamilton dropped behind eventual race winner Max Verstappen. Hamilton subsequently accused his team-mate of 'working against him' and called for serious discussions within Ferrari to prevent similar incidents from happening again. Leclerc, meanwhile, was equally frustrated, claiming the seven-time world champion had pushed him off the track at Turn 1.
The incident also angered Vasseur, who expressed his disappointment at the apparent lack of respect shown towards Ferrari's workforce. The Frenchman subsequently arranged talks with both drivers in Brazil, making it clear that the team's interests must come before their individual ambitions.
However, the meeting was initially delayed after Leclerc flew back to Europe for the birth of his daughter. Upon his return, Vasseur wasted little time in bringing the Monegasque together with Hamilton to address the situation.
When questioned about the meeting, Vasseur declined to disclose the details of their discussions but made clear the message he had delivered to both drivers. He said: "The guidelines are always the same. They are two competitors with a fighting spirit for sure, but they need to have respect for each other. But, mainly and firstly, they need to respect the brand, the team, the people working at home, the people working on track. I think we are putting a lot of effort on this and the message was clear and will stay clear."
Ahead of Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix, former Haas team principal Steiner admitted that while the rivalry between Hamilton and Leclerc presents a headache for Vasseur, having two drivers capable of winning races is a problem many teams would welcome. However, Steiner believes the tensions are unlikely to disappear and has suggested Vasseur may eventually have to take drastic action to keep his drivers in line.
Speaking on the Red Flag podcast, he explained: "It’s a fantastic problem to have for Fred, but it’s a very not-so-fantastic problem to have. It’s a fantastic problem, because you’ve got two drivers who actually have the talent to win races, but they get in the way of each other.
"I always say, would you rather have one driver who is as good as either of them – I’m not prioritising – and then have somebody like Lance Stroll. Would that make you happy? If I was team principal, that would not make me happy. Obviously, they have got a problem to deal with. They need to deal with that. Do you think they will resolve the situation? I do not think so. This situation will come up again, because they want to win.
"[Just] say, ‘Hey guys, enough is enough’. Then you’ve got the problem like in this case, would you bench Charles or both of them? I think at some stage, Fred will say it, ‘Hey guys, if you don’t work for the team, we send you home’. Otherwise, he tears his last hair out."
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