Lewis Hamilton is under scrutiny again, but this time it's off the track. The seven-time world champion has been accused of "undermining" Fred Vasseur's leadership at Ferrari. Sky Sports commentator David Croft pointed to Hamilton's comments about his close relationship with Ferrari chairman John Elkann as evidence.
Since joining Ferrari, Hamilton showed promise, including a maiden win in Barcelona. But the team has fallen behind rivals, especially in power unit development. Hamilton now trails championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli by 103 points. Pressure is mounting on Vasseur, who is seen as responsible for the team's decline.
Talk of a management shake-up intensified after Christian Horner was linked to Ferrari. Speculation grew, but Ferrari issued a statement fully backing Vasseur ahead of the Bahrain GP in Malaysia. That support should have quelled rumors, but instead raised another question: who really calls the shots at Maranello?
When asked if Vasseur was the right man to lead the team, Hamilton gave a one-word answer: "Yes." He then praised his relationship with Elkann. For Croft, that was telling. "I'm not criticising Lewis, but when he says 'I've got a great relationship with John Elkann, we're very close', is that actually undermining Fred just a little bit?" Croft said on the Sky Sports F1 Show.
Croft questioned Ferrari's power structure. "If John Elkann takes such a hands-on role, which I believe he does, then how do you expect your team principal to exert authority?" he added. This isn't the first time Ferrari has faced uncertainty. Since last winning the constructors' title in 2008, names like Stefano Domenicali, Maurizio Arrivabene, and Mattia Binotto have tried to restore glory, but none succeeded.
Some see Horner as a solution, but Croft disagrees. He argues Horner's success at Red Bull came because he was also CEO, giving him full autonomy. "Until you do that at Ferrari, you are just going to be repeating the same mistakes," Croft stressed. Ferrari insists it has no plans to reshuffle management, but the shadow of a leadership crisis looms large.
For Hamilton, the focus remains on track performance. But his comments about Elkann have sparked debate about the team's internal dynamics. Will Vasseur maintain his authority, or is this the beginning of a major change at Ferrari? Only time will tell, and Formula 1 fans are eagerly awaiting the next move from the iconic Italian team.
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