F1 News: Ferrari boss 'annoyed' with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc as Maranello crisis deepens

Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Madring, Spanish GP, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Ferrari F1 boss 'annoyed' with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc as Maranello crisis deepens

Ferrari are in freefall, again

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Wednesday 16 September 2026 08:55 Updated: 09:03

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The 2026 F1 season is now into its second half and there is a familiar storyline emerging - Ferrari are in freefall, again.

The Scuderia started the year with such high hopes after a miserable 2025, in particular for new signing Lewis Hamilton.

Aggressive upgrades and even satisfactory race strategy (yes, even that) saw the team in red claim brilliant victories both in Barcelona (Hamilton) and Silverstone (Charles Leclerc).

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But since that early July day at the British Grand Prix, things have gone south in a very big and a very familiar way for F1's most iconic brand.

F1 HEADLINES: 'Lewis will never trust Charles again' as Wolff weighs in on Ferrari fallout

Ferrari are in freefall, again

Hamilton in particular is heading in the wrong direction in the championship standings - he trailed leader Kimi Antonelli by just 32 after Silverstone but five races later the gap is now a massive 101.

Leclerc meanwhile has had problems of his own - causing contact with Hamilton early at the Italian Grand Prix before crashing out heavily just one lap later.

The back story to this on-track misery has been one of suspicion and acrimony, with Hamilton in particular vocal about what he feels is flawed strategy.

The 41-year-old British star has bemoaned the lack of clear rules of engagement for Ferrari drivers, comparing the situation unfavourably with what he had experienced at Mercedes.

Ralf Schumacher says Vasseur was not a happy man

It was against this backdrop that team principal Fred Vasseur spoke with media at the Spanish Grand Prix, and according to Sky Sports Germany analyst and former F1 star Ralf Schumacher, he was not a happy man.

He revealed: “I got the feeling during our interview yesterday that Fred Vasseur was annoyed and clearly addressed the mistakes.

"He’s annoyed that both drivers aren’t putting their backs on the brand, but rather, in a way, putting the brand first and not showing any teamwork.

"That has to stop if you’re trying to chase down another team.”

Fred Vasseur - dealing with major issues at Ferrari.

Vasseur's comments at the Madring tallied with earlier comments he had made after the Italian Grand Prix, when he again called on Hamilton and Leclerc to act with the team's interests first.

"My job is to protect the hundreds of people on the team and take responsibility.

"That's what I also asked the drivers: if we want to achieve results, we must protect the team and each take responsibility.”