Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are under the spotlight after the Dutch Grand Prix. Will Buxton, a paddock insider, has called the Zandvoort moment a 'first real test' for the relationship between the two Ferrari drivers.
Last Sunday, Leclerc had taken second in the Sprint, but in the main race, the SF-26's race pace looked competitive. However, when Hamilton closed in on his teammate, things got tense. Hamilton protested on the radio over not being asked to move aside, even sarcastically remarking: "Great way of wasting time, good job!"
Hamilton finished fourth, just behind George Russell, while Leclerc was fifth. After the race, Hamilton said he would seek an 'offline' discussion to evaluate the situation, and compared Mercedes' execution. Yet, the next day, he posted a message of contrition on social media, warning rivals that "we're coming."
According to Buxton, this is a crucial moment for the Maranello squad. "Is this Ferrari's first real test of the Charles-Lewis relationship?" he asked on his podcast. "Charles is the golden child, Ferrari through and through, probably never leaving. Then you have Lewis, the seven-time champion. You can't please both. In an F1 team, one driver will be unhappy, the other happy."
Buxton added that Hamilton's Mercedes experience sets a high bar for team execution. "Lewis is used to a team that acts immediately. He wants that championship-winning mentality at Ferrari because without it, you'll never win a title. I can see his frustration: 'guys, we're making ourselves look like dicks here.'"
The question is whether this is a Ferrari-wide issue or a Charles-Lewis problem. How quickly must they address it? With tight competition at the top, Ferrari's ability to manage this dynamic will define their title hopes.
Baca Juga
Will Buxton menilai GP Belanda sebagai ujian pertama hubungan Lewis Hamilton dan Charles Leclerc di Ferrari. Akankah tim mampu mengelola dinamika ini?
Hiyu Yamakoshi percaya diri bisa bersaing dengan pembalap top setelah musim debut F3 yang impresif bersama Van Amersfoort Racing.
Alpine mempertahankan Franco Colapinto untuk F1 2027. Keputusan konservatif? Analisis dampak pada performa tim dan peluang junior.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!