Hamilton is getting too big for his boots, says Ralf Schumacher: He’s acting like Al Capone

Lewis Hamilton kept returning to his battle with Charles Leclerc throughout the Mexican Grand Prix. He criticised his team-mate and accused the FIA of handing Leclerc too lenient a penalty. Those radio messages left Ralf Schumacher fuming. He has compared Hamilton to American gangster Al Capone.

The seven-time champion called on Sunday for serious talks about the current situation at Ferrari and the rules of engagement between its drivers. He criticised Charles Leclerc for reckless driving and a self-centred approach that cost the Scuderia a potential one-two. His anger was evident during the red-flag period. “We’ve got problems. Big, big problems.”

According to Ralf Schumacher, Hamilton is starting to overstep the mark. “Lewis Hamilton has accepted that if Charles Leclerc doesn’t drive across the grass, there’ll be a crash. That’s deliberate. But I’ve no problem with that, because it’s a racing situation where nobody wants to give up their position,” he said on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast.

“Where I do have a problem is with the drama that followed,” the former driver continued. “Demanding a penalty for your team-mate over the radio – you just don’t do that. Then speaking like Al Capone and threatening that ‘we’ll have big, big problems’ – in my view, that’s the dog taking the master for a walk. He’s putting himself above the Ferrari brand. He’s acting more like a team boss than a driver.”

Hamilton demanded that the team management finally intervene. Ralf Schumacher agrees with him, but proposes a very different intervention from the one the seven-time champion has in mind.

“I wouldn’t tolerate that. I’d round both drivers up, give them a stern talking-to and explain how things are done at Ferrari. It can’t go on like this,” Schumacher insisted. “Both drivers ruined each other’s race in that situation. Ferrari should have won in Mexico.”

“Lewis needs to ask himself what he actually wants. Is it just about him, or is it about the success of the entire team? Sometimes you get the feeling that everything revolves around him. The rivalry between Hamilton and Leclerc has gone a bit too far in recent races. It can’t be that Ferrari suffers because both drivers are so stubborn,” he added.

Vasseur should look back at the great rivalries of the past and ask himself whether he can bring two strong personalities under control. “I need only to remind you of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. When two such alpha males are let loose on each other, you know in advance what’s going to happen. That’s a matter for management, and they need to clarify in advance how to resolve it. Clear rules must be established to resolve the situation.”