The buzz around Ferrari in 2026 is getting louder, and it’s not just about pace. It’s about control—who really gets to rein in the chaos when Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc decide to fight like there’s no tomorrow.
Ralf Schumacher believes Hamilton’s contract could be limiting Frederic Vasseur’s ability to manage the increasingly fierce on-track battles. And you can see why people are talking. In the opening rounds, the Ferrari pair have been aggressive wheel-to-wheel, including that tight duel in Suzuka where Leclerc got ahead by taking the outside line around Turn 1.
The thing is, “aggressive” is one word, and “too far” is another. Leclerc later admitted: “Our cars touched in the chicane – I was even afraid I’d gotten a puncture.” That moment stuck with fans—because once contact becomes part of the rhythm, the risk stops being theoretical.
Timo Glock, a former driver himself, also sounded a warning. He’s said the situation could spiral if Ferrari doesn’t draw a clear line. According to Misryoum reporting, Glock argued that when duels start costing the team—especially through getting in each other’s way and losing battery power—then management has to step in.
“[If] the two cars are getting in each other’s way and losing battery power, if ultimately the team loses positions as a result, then the team management must intervene,” Glock said, framing it like a basic rule of survival. He added that teams have a general understanding: a duel is okay, but contact is unacceptable. And then, maybe even more unsettling, he went for a blunt prediction. My gut feeling is that we’ll see them both in the gravel trap after a collision at some point.
In the middle of all this, there’s another thread Misryoum has been tracking: Hamilton’s resurgence in 2026. Schumacher’s read is that Leclerc still looks more consistently fast, but Hamilton is clearly back to being the version “we all want to see”—confident, enjoying racing. Still, Schumacher thinks the situation is messier behind the scenes than what the highlight clips show.
He believes Hamilton’s contract is a major factor. Schumacher said Hamilton has a deal that lets him compete at the front—and that even if Vasseur wanted to tell him to back off, he might not have that leverage. “I believe, even though I will probably get some criticism for this, that while Lewis will clearly be competing at the front again this year, he also has a contract that allows him to do exactly that,” Schumacher said, adding that Ferrari would have “no chance” to control him in the way people might expect.
And yes, it comes with consequences for the team. Schumacher described the frustration felt by the people doing the day-to-day grind—mechanics giving everything from morning till night—only to watch their drivers battle so hard that they lose time, or even parts, from collisions. That creates unrest. Or at least, that’s the picture Schumacher paints. Whether Ferrari can smooth that out before it becomes a real problem… well, that part feels like it’s still hanging in the air.
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