Sep.7 (GMM) Ferrari’s home race descended into disaster at Monza, with Charles Leclerc requiring further medical checks after a 50g crash while Lewis Hamilton openly criticised the team’s lack of clear rules for racing each other.
Leclerc and Hamilton had already clashed on the opening lap before the Monegasque suffered an enormous accident at Parabolica.
“My eye is giving me a bit of trouble now, but I’m not injured, so everything’s ok in that respect,” Leclerc said afterwards.
“At first it was just a vision problem – I couldn’t see very well out of my right eye. That was my biggest worry when I got out of the car.”
Leclerc left the circuit early and said he will undergo more checks before Madrid.
“I still need to do some checks on my end, probably tonight and tomorrow, to make sure I’ll be in perfect condition for Madrid,” he said.
“I should be, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Team boss Frederic Vasseur revealed the scale of the accident.
“It was a 50g impact, really bad,” he said. “I can understand that he wanted to leave as soon as possible.”
Another problem for Ferrari is the increasingly tense relationship between its drivers. Hamilton dropped to tenth after their first-lap fight and was visibly unimpressed.
“Look, I don’t race dirty,” he said afterwards.
“I’ve always raced clean and fairly and always left space. I’ve come into the team and tried to be respectful of space and definitely not put the team in jeopardy.”
Leclerc suggested afterwards that “we went too far”, but Hamilton rejected that wording.
“I was ahead at the apex of turn 2. So there’s no ‘we’ there.”
Hamilton then made a pointed comparison with Mercedes.
“I think it all comes down to the rules of engagement,” said the seven time world champion. “When I was at Mercedes, we had written rules.”
“There are no rules here.”
He also suggested responsibility ultimately rests with Vasseur.
“Ultimately it comes from the top. It starts with Fred,” said the Briton.
Vasseur conceded Ferrari may now have to abandon its previous policy of allowing the pair to race freely.
“At a certain point, we have to make a decision,” he said. “But before Monza, it was too early for us.”
But Hamilton insists it is now too late for Ferrari to use team orders to protect his fading championship challenge against Antonelli and Russell.
“We’re too far past that already,” he said.
“I think from today, we’ve just lost so much ground to them on points. It’s many, many weeks too late.”
Ralf Schumacher believes the fallout could now extend to Vasseur himself.
“I’m not so sure what this means for Fred Vasseur,” he said on Sky Deutschland. “Something like this in Italy, with the big Ferrari boss also present.”
“That was a kind of embarrassment that no one likes to see.”
Join Grand Prix Tours in Austin, Texas for the high-energy 2026 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Experience nonstop action on one of Formula 1’s most exciting tracks, featuring dramatic elevation changes, thrilling overtakes, and a packed race weekend. Off the track, enjoy a festival atmosphere with live music, world-famous BBQ, and buzzing nightlife. Your Grand Prix Tours package includes a fully curated race weekend, highlighted by exclusive access to our private F1 Celebrity Talk Show, where guests gain insider insights and behind-the-scenes perspectives. With demand soaring and this event quickly becoming a modern American racing tradition, now is the time to secure your spot for an unforgettable Austin Grand Prix experience.
SHOW PACKAGES
There are motorsport events, and then there is the Indianapolis 500, the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." Next year marks Grand Prix Tours' 42nd Indianapolis 500 tour and our decades of experience and local connections provide exclusive access that few fans ever enjoy, including police escorts on race day, a Dallara IndyCar Factory tour, Gasoline Alley and Legends Day, the Driver Introduction Ceremony, and a private dinner with former Indy driver Derek Daly. Combined with excellent hotel accommodations, seamless event planning, and Grand Prix Tours' signature service, this is far more than a race weekend; it's a once-in-a-lifetime motorsport experience. With tour spaces limited each year, we encourage you to reserve your place early for the 111th Indianapolis 500.
SHOW PACKAGES
Experience Formula 1 at its most iconic with an unforgettable trip to the 2027 Grand Prix de Monaco. Feel the excitement as the world’s best drivers race through the legendary streets of Monte Carlo, surrounded by superyachts, Mediterranean views, and the unmistakable glamour of Monaco. From incredible race viewing to carefully selected accommodations, Grand Prix Tours brings you closer to the action at one of the most prestigious and spectacular events in all of motorsport.
SHOW PACKAGES
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the ultimate test of speed, strategy, and endurance. Watch the world's top manufacturers battle for 24 nonstop hours in one of motorsport's most prestigious events. With Grand Prix Tours handling your accommodations, transfers, and ticket options, all that's left is to experience this unforgettable bucket-list race.
SHOW PACKAGES
Feel the roar of Formula 1 at its spiritual home. Silverstone is one of the fastest and most demanding circuits in the world, where brave overtakes, lightning-fast direction changes, and flat-out commitment separate the best from the rest. Combined with the electric atmosphere created by hundreds of thousands of passionate fans, the British Grand Prix delivers a race weekend unlike any other.
SHOW PACKAGES