Sky Sports F1 insider calls for Hamilton and Leclerc punishments after Ferrari clash

Sky Sports F1 insider Bernie Collins believes there must be rules of engagement and repercussions for any future on-track clashes between Ferrari team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

On Sunday in Mexico City Leclerc appeared to ruin Hamilton's victory chances from pole position when he tried to overtake the British star on Lap 1. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was the man to profit as he claimed the win.

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The fallout was predictably explosive, with Hamilton furious on team radio and team principal Fred Vasseur raging after the race about 'huge disrespect' to the Ferrari brand.

Hamilton was once again left to bemoan the lack of any rules of engagement for himself and Leclerc, as he had following their clash at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza in September.

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Collins: Ferrari must fix their Hamilton-Leclerc problem

Former F1 team strategist and now Sky Sports analyst Collins believes this is not a difficult issue for Ferrari to fix, but fix it they must.

Speaking on the F1 Show, she explained: "You know I don't think it is a big, big, big problem. I think it's something that if they sit down together, talk it through, come to some sort of mutual agreement, there's some sort of penalty for the drivers if they don't stick to it."

Collins rammed home that point about punishment and penalties - she does not believe this can be a loose agreement with no fallout if it is not observed.

'A gentleman's agreement' will not work

"I think you can't just be like 'a gentleman's agreement that we're gonna discuss in the office and there's no repercussions'. There needs to be some sort of repercussion."

Ferrari have something of a blueprint for how to deal with this according to Collins, in the shape of McLaren's famed 'papaya rules'.

"I think we've seen that a little bit with McLaren, where they had this sort of rules of engagement, and then we think the repercussion is if they go against the rules of engagement they lose a qualifying preference the next week," she said.

"So that's a penalty but it's not like really harsh. So something like that - they need to be having those discussions."

Ferrari warned that inaction will cost them dear

One thing is clear, and that is Ferrari will not solve this problem by failing to attack it. As Collins points out, this is not the first time it has happened, and it will happen again if left unchecked.

"It's not the first time that two team-mates have taken each other off track. And one of the rules in F1 is if it's happened before, it will happen again. Come up with a plan. It's not difficult."

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