Lewis Hamilton's F1 boss takes drastic measures as Italian media report 'title talk ban'

Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton's F1 boss takes drastic measures as Italian media report 'title talk ban'

Lewis Hamilton is Kimi Antonelli's nearest challenger in the drivers' championship

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 30 July 2026 20:54

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Ferrari F1 boss Fred Vasseur has banned all talk of a championship fight in 2026, according to reports in Italian media.

The Scuderia are looking to secure their first tile of any kind since 2008 this year, and the form of their two drivers, as well as a much-improved car compared to 2025, is making that a real possibility.

As Mercedes have struggled with reliability issues in the first half of the season, Ferrari have quietly gone about securing consistent results, which means they are only 72 points behind the Brackley-based outfit in the constructors' championship.

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That's despite only having won two of the opening 11 grands prix, while Mercedes have eight victories in that time.

With the second half of the season likely to be a development race between the top four teams, there is a real feeling Mercedes might have had their most dominant part of the season, and haven't necessarily opened up the gap at the top of the championship as much as they should have.

Their 19-year-old driver Kimi Antonelli is 50 points clear of Hamilton in the drivers' championship despite having claimed six grand prix wins while no other driver has claimed more than two.

But according to one Italian publication, Vasseur does not want to get ahead of himself.

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Are Ferrari in the championship hunt?

As well as Hamilton having propelled himself into the championship fight this year, Leclerc's recent form means he is now just 31 points behind his seven-time champion team-mate. Leclerc won at Silverstone, and then finished second in Belgium.

But despite his improved form, Leclerc has claimed he is not thinking about either of the two championships, and is only focusing on each race.

"Let's not think too far ahead with the championship," Leclerc said following the Hungarian Grand Prix. "Because right now it's crucial to focus on each individual race and get the best out of the track."

Italian publication Gazzetta have even suggested following the first half of the season that Hamilton and Leclerc's boss Vasseur has taken that attitude a step further.

They are reporting that Vasseur has gone as far as to ban the words 'world championship fight' from being said within the Italian outfit, with a recent piece stating: "In Maranello, work continues on planning the remainder of the championship, to allow Ferrari to play for something important in the final part of the season, despite team principal Fred Vasseur having categorically banned the words 'World Championship fight' from the Prancing Horse."

Ferrari are continuing to develop their car and power unit in the hope that there will be bigger prizes to fight for in the second half of the season.

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F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Charles Leclerc Fred Vasseur