Lewis Hamilton vs Charles Leclerc problem has only one ending and it's terrifying for Ferrari

Look everyone, another episode of what happens when Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc fight for position on the opening lap of a race.

Sadly for Ferrari it more often than not ends with lost points and, in Mexico on Sunday, a lost win with a one-two finish.

Hamilton could only take a second place with Leclerc fourth, after their squabbling when first and second on the opening lap led to Max Verstappen splitting them, and then eventually taking the win.

Without doubt, Hamilton vs Leclerc is not just the biggest team-mate rivalry in F1 but the biggest rivalry in general.

I mean active rivalries too. Hamilton and Verstappen is of course gigantic, but these drivers are not fighting for each other for anything worthy right now.

Hamilton vs Leclerc is different. These are two No.1 drivers fighting to ultimately be the undisputed No.1 driver at Ferrari, and everyone in the team is losing as a result.

This article isn't about pinning blame on one of them for Sunday in Mexico, or even in Monza recently, as there are cases for and against bot. But we do have to look at where this is heading.

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What now for Hamilton and Leclerc?

Ferrari F1 team principal Fred Vasseur has a huge headache to deal with. He now has to get Hamilton and Leclerc working together again for Ferrari, which is like asking Tom and Jerry to put aside their differences.

Hamilton's idea is to have a 'rules of engagement' policy, just like the one h had with Nico Rosberg at Mercedes when they experienced similar issues. For what it's worth it's an idea that Rosberg supports.

This might seem like a good idea, but it's hard to envision how effective this could be. In the heat of battle a when split second could turn fair engagement into something that's not. Mistakes happen.

That leads to a second layer of this - trust. It's clear neither Hamilton nor Leclerc have trust in each other to play the team game, because deep down they both want to be Ferrari top dog.

You can see a scenario now where Hamilton or Leclerc take advantage of the other in a grey area of this rules of engagement (and there will always be grey areas!), kicking off the whole issue again.

In a nutshell, 'rules of engagement' is no more than a sticking plaster.

Hamilton vs Leclerc does not end well

The reality is there is no calming the situation down. Hamilton and Leclerc's rivalry will not simmer from here, it can stay as fierce as it is or it could even get worse. For both there is too much on the line to concede.

Reutemann/Jones, Mansell/Piquet, Senna/Prost, Hamilton/Alonso, Hamilton/Rosberg none of these famous F1 rivalries cooled down until one of them left the team.

So you may suggest Vasseur needs to get a grip and take control, but his situation is really out of a team principal's hands no matter what Draconian rules you put down, it doesn't stop the feud.

The big problem for Ferrari is this has months, if not years, to run. Leclerc has a contract until 2030, Hamilton is thought to have an option for 2028.

Even if Ferrari want to back one driver, there is no way of getting rid of the other without a sizeable payout.

So rules or no rules, new team principal or not, Hamilton vs Leclerc isn't going to die down.

It will only end when one of them leaves, and given how equal they have been there is no obvious answer as to which one it is. So even if you want to pick one, do you axe the guy who is part of the furniture and has an excellent relationship with the team? Or the guy who is a seven-time world champion and a marketing machine?

So the drama is going to keep playing out. Costing wins, points, maybe even championships for many grands prix to come.

What a terrifying prospect for Ferrari.

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Written by

Dan Ripley - Global Editor

I've been a massive F1 fan since the mid 1990s and continue to study the history of the sport long before that. As an experienced motor sport reporter covering F1, MotoGP and the LeMans 24 Hour race, being part of GPFans has allowed me to work with a diverse team with all sorts of different backgrounds in watching the sport and given me a greater appreciation of F1.

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