Full Breakdown
Hamilton Calls for Written Rules After Monza Clash with Leclerc
9/7/2026, 8:36:27 PM
The Incident at Monza
During the opening corners of the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc made contact at Turn 2. Hamilton’s car was forced onto the gravel, dropping him to tenth by the end of the first lap, while Leclerc crashed into the barriers on the next lap. Hamilton recovered to finish sixth, and the race was won by Kimi Antonelli. The collision left Hamilton 76 points behind Antonelli in the championship, a gap equivalent to more than three race victories, with ten races remaining.
Team Reactions
Former teammate Nico Rosberg placed full responsibility on Leclerc, describing the clash as “100 percent Charles’ fault” while also calling Hamilton “aggressive.”
Official Statements & Responses
Hamilton urged the sport’s governing body to establish written “rules of engagement” for teammates, arguing that clear guidelines could prevent future incidents. He emphasized that he does not race dirty and always leaves space for other drivers. Vasseur defended his decision not to grant Hamilton priority over Leclerc in their title fight, stressing that internal discussions will follow. Ferrari’s warning underscores the team’s concern that continued disputes could jeopardize their championship campaign.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We’re just not executing as well as we can. Not as well as the other teams ?are. But we were at other points in the season,” — Lewis Hamilton, driver
- “I think today we just lost so much ?ground to them (Mercedes) on points, and it’s far too late for those decisions to come,” — Lewis Hamilton, driver
- “There was no ‘we’ in it,” — Lewis Hamilton, driver
- “We will have time to discuss it (with the drivers). But the outcome of Turn 1-2 is not good for the team.” — Fred Vasseur, team principal
