Ferrari F1 and Lewis Hamilton face nightmare scenario again at Spanish Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Miami, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Spanish Grand Prix

Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton face nightmare scenario again at Spanish Grand Prix

Once again Hamilton and Leclerc are alongside each other on the grid

Dan Ripley Global Editor

Professional F1 journalist and analyst

Saturday 12 September 2026 20:30

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Ferrari would do anything to avoid the horror and embarrassment that the Italian Grand Prix gave them last Sunday. Seven days later it's staring them in the face again.

On home soil at Monza, it was Charles Leclerc in P3 and Lewis Hamilton in P4. Hamilton's ambitious lunge into the first corner was met with rude return by Leclerc who ensured the seven-time world champion had nowhere to go but the gravel and P10.

When Leclerc crashed out the race a lap later, Ferrari's hopes of challenging Mercedes for victory already looked shot to pieces.

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As it was, Hamilton did fight back early on at the restart after the red flag to challenge the front runners but soon slipped back to a disappointing sixth anyway.

Not that Ferrari's poor pace would mask the post-race scrutiny elsewhere after Lewis Hamilton complained about no intra-team code of conduct between drivers.

All the talk was on a civil war brewing at Ferrari that team boss Fred Vasseur had to get under control.

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Vasseur's response was no action. Status quo, everything as it was. Basically, Hamilton's wish to get Ferrari driver rules like he had at Mercedes were turned down.

Ferrari were probably hoping that the very next race a week later at Madring for the Spanish Grand Prix wouldn't have made it come so soon that their faith in the 'free for all' guidance they have on Hamilton and Leclerc would be put to the test.

For the Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton will line up P4 behind Max Verstappen's Red Bull on the second row, but Leclerc will be right behind him in P5.

Now, of course team-mates don't collide every time they line up next to each other, and clashing twice in consecutive races is almost unheard of.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc clashed at the Italian Grand Prix

Hamilton vs Leclerc, round 2?

But look at that starting grid and tell yourself that after last week in Monza. Now ask yourself if Hamilton and Leclerc are going to be as willing to concede position if they are challenging into the first corner.

As they both try to establish themselves as No.1 drivers at Ferrari (regardless what their equal-status contracts say) it's hard to see them putting driver ego to one side to put Ferrari first. In fairness, how many drivers don't do this unless they are a clear No.2 driver.

No all-smiles videos of them playing padel together is going to change that. At probably no other time this season, Vasseur is going to have his heart in his mouth as his Ferrari drivers approach turn one.

If they crash again, sharper knives will be out on his decision not to enforce a Ferrari code of conduct and it's not hard to imagine the levels of dissent that will suddenly brew within the driver ranks as a once promising season threatens to spiral out of control.