Martin Brundle’s honest take on the Ferrari drama puts Lewis Hamilton facing a big career decision
Martin Brundle has shared his take on the growing tension at Ferrari, suggesting Lewis Hamilton might see a chance to take control. The British driver has been exchanging sharp words with his teammate Charles Leclerc, both during the Mexico City GP and afterward in interviews.
After Hamilton doubled down on his remarks in Brazil, the seasoned F1 driver and commentator gave his thoughts on what might be driving Hamilton’s actions.
Tensions at Ferrari have reached a boiling point following the Mexico race battle between Hamilton and Leclerc. Leclerc made a risky move early on to overtake Hamilton, but it didn’t work out. This clash turned what looked like an easy 1-2 finish into a second and fourth place, with Max Verstappen taking the win.
Hamilton was clearly furious after the race and still seems upset a week later. Brundle believes Hamilton isn’t just angry about the race but is also using the moment to strengthen his role at Ferrari.
“I think Lewis sees a real chance to claim more of the spotlight, to become the top driver there,” said Brundle. “He’s not going to let this go. When he said during the red flag, ‘We’ve got big problems,’ that wasn’t just about the race in Mexico. That was a message for some people back in Italy.”
Brundle, who has driven for several F1 teams, says Hamilton knows how to play the politics in racing. He sees that Hamilton now has little to lose.
“At this point in his career, Lewis speaks his mind and was clearly unhappy with what happened. Leclerc’s move wasn’t the smartest – trying to go around the outside on Turn 4 was risky and, frankly, 75-25 against success.
“Lewis sees this as a chance to get ahead, because Leclerc’s move was a bit careless.”
Brundle also pointed out the tough spot all F1 drivers face nowadays.
“When I started in F1, teams had about 40 people. Now it’s more like 2,000. You’re representing all of them, but also competing as an individual in the team, which makes things complicated.
“It’s the same story with Lando and Oscar at McLaren. Drivers have to figure out where they really stand. You can’t just blame someone for racing hard because they’re part of a team — it doesn’t work that way.”
His comments came after Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur revealed details about the driver contracts. If Hamilton races beyond his current deal, he’ll likely push for a stronger position within the team.
“Here’s something I can share,” Vasseur said after Mexico. “We chose to have two number one drivers, both able to win races, and treat them equally. That’s the deal with both drivers — Lewis knew it from the start, and it’s in his contract.
“Some teams pick a clear number one and number two, others go with two number one drivers. Both have pros and cons, but we believe in our approach, which is all about respect.”