Hamilton tried to use Leclerc dispute to force his way into number one role, says Brundle

As Ferrari’s drivers argued, their chances of securing at least second place in the championship took a significant hit. While the points lost in Mexico and Brazil did not seriously threaten the team’s hopes of finishing second in the Constructors’ Championship, they effectively ended Lewis Hamilton’s and Charles Leclerc’s chances of finishing runner-up in the drivers’ standings. According to Martin Brundle, however, there is a clear motive behind the dispute between the two.

According to the well-known commentator, Leclerc and Hamilton have spent the past two weeks fighting hard for position within the team, both on track and behind closed doors. The Monegasque driver started it all. His attempted move in Mexico was doomed to fail and probably cost the team an important victory.

A war of words in the media followed the race. Hamilton launched into fierce criticism of Leclerc in the media, continuing after arriving in Brazil. According to Brundle, the seven-time champion had a clear objective. “I stand by what I said. I think Lewis has realised there’s a really good platform to carve himself out more of a number one spot there, more clout in that situation. He’s not going to let that go,” said the former driver.

“And that comment, when he got out of the car during the red flag, of, ‘We’ve got big problems here, big problems,’ that wasn’t to anybody around in Mexico. That was to some people in Italy,” said Brundle.

Martin also had plenty of justified criticism for Leclerc. However, he viewed Hamilton’s comments over the radio and in the media as an attempt to claim some of Charles’s “territory” at Ferrari. “He said on the radio that they’ve given Charles the win today with just that five-second penalty, and it’s definitely worth cutting a few corners, getting out front. You make a lot more than five seconds,” said Brundle.

“But the big story is it didn’t give a Ferrari driver the win at all. It gave Max Verstappen the victory as it happened. It wasn’t the smartest move in Charles’s career and life. Trying to go around the outside of Turn 4, that was a 75-25 against move against your teammate. It just wasn’t a smart move,” reiterated the former driver and long-serving commentator.

“Lewis has realised, here’s a chance to actually make a bit of ground on this, because that was a bit silly,” said Martin, who was nevertheless not overly critical of Leclerc for disregarding the team’s interests in his battle with Hamilton.

Although Formula 1 is changing, it remains to a large extent an individual sport, and the biggest prize is the individual title. “You’ve got this situation where they say you’re representing 2,000 people, and it’s true. But you’re in Formula 1. As an individual sports person, you’re measured as an individual sports person in a team environment. Now that team’s 2,000 people, and it’s almost becoming impossible,” Brundle continued.

“I think we saw the same with Lando [Norris] and Oscar [Piastri]. Where do you stand as a driver. I think this is a new challenge, on where do I really stand here. You can’t just keep criticising me for racing for myself just because I’m in a team. It actually doesn’t work, does it, if you think about it,” added Brundle.