Ferrari’s management of the penalty imposed on Lewis Hamilton during the Hungarian Grand Prix raises new questions: radio exchanges, which had not been broadcast during the race, show that Charles Leclerc was informed of his teammate’s sanction two laps before he received the information.
Read more Sergio Pérez felt cheated by Aston Martin F1: «There is no loyalty in this business»
This sequence fuels questions about the internal management of the Italian team, with some observers believing that the Ferrari pit wall favored Leclerc’s strategy more, while Hamilton had to deal with the consequences of his penalty without benefiting from the same level of anticipation.
According to these radio communications, the seven-time world champion was only warned of his sanction several moments after his teammate. A delay that would have had significant consequences on his race, Ferrari having already adapted its strategy around Leclerc’s situation.
Double standards
The penalty did not only concern Hamilton’s personal result. It also influenced his ability to defend his position on track, while the team seemed to focus its efforts on Leclerc’s ambitions.
For Hamilton, being warned earlier could have allowed him to adapt his race management, preserve his tires more, or prepare more effectively for the expected loss of position. This late communication seems instead to have reduced his room for maneuver at a key moment of the race.
Read more Toto Wolff refuses to get carried away with Kimi Antonelli despite his lead in the championship
At this stage, Ferrari has provided no official explanation regarding this difference in treatment. The team could argue that the messages responded to the strategic needs specific to each of the two drivers or that the timing was dictated by the course of the race.
Leclerc favored?
In the absence of details, this episode nonetheless fuels speculation about the internal balance of the Scuderia. Some see it as a new element likely to reinforce the idea that Charles Leclerc remains the team’s priority when important strategic decisions must be made.
If Ferrari does not quickly clarify the circumstances of this communication, this incident could go beyond a simple pit wall management error. It risks indeed fueling questions about the level of support given to Lewis Hamilton and about the team’s ability to treat its two drivers in a perfectly fair manner.
At this stage, however, caution is advised: the radio exchanges made public do not allow, by themselves, to conclude that Ferrari deliberately favored Leclerc. Without an official explanation from the team or more context on the timeline of decisions made at the pit wall, it is impossible to assert that it was a preferential treatment rather than a consequence of the strategic circumstances of the race.
Read more Isack Hadjar sets his next goal at Red Bull after a promising start