Lewis Hamilton Could ‘Be Sent Home’ if Ferrari Tensions Continue

During a week when it was confirmed that Esteban Ocon would not drive for Haas again this season, another F1 driver has been warned that he is at risk of being ‘sent home’ if there is any repeat of the behaviour that took place at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Ocon’s Haas career ended in bitter fashion when he was sensationally dropped by the Banbury-based team midway through the weekend following a furious bust-up between the driver and team principal Ayao Komatsu.

The Frenchman was subsequently stood down from the race and replaced by Japanese reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa. Having remained relatively tight-lipped on the situation, Haas released a statement announcing that Ocon, who had been due to depart at the end of the season, would not be competing for the team again.

However, it wasn’t just Haas who experienced huge internal tension in Mexico. Relations between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc hit a new low after Ferrari missed out on a potential 1-2 finish at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

F1 Team May Need to Send Big-Name Driver “Home”

Leclerc drew the ire of Hamilton when he attempted a move on the outside of the seven-time world champion, one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, during the first lap. The Montanesque driver gained the lead off the track, but was later penalised for the move. His actions also dropped Hamilton back to third, behind eventual race winner, Max Verstappen.

After Leclerc was hit with a five-second penalty over the incident, he ended the race in fourth, leaving Hamilton fuming over what might have been.

The Brit declared afterwards that he was confident he had a car capable of winning the race, but had been denied that opportunity by Leclerc’s actions.

The pair later had a tense interaction in the hospitality area, where nothing much appeared to have been resolved.

Speaking during an appearance on The Red Flags Podcast, former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner warned Hamilton that he could be “sent home” by Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur if there are repeated incidents of the two drivers clashing in such a public fashion.

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It’s a fantastic problem to have for Fred, but it’s a very not so fantastic problem to have,” Steiner reasoned.

“It’s a fantastic problem, because you’ve got two drivers who actually have the talent to win races, but they get in the way of each other.”

Steiner pointed out that he fully expects Hamilton and Leclerc to have issues in the future as both are determined to be the best. However, he predicts that Ferrari may be forced to send one of the drivers “home” if they cannot get on the same page.

“Obviously, they have got a problem to deal with. They need to deal with that. Do you think they will resolve the situation? I do not think so. This situation will come up again, because they want to win.

F1 Teammates Tipped to Clash Again

REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

“I think at some stage, Fred will say it. ‘Hey guys, if you don’t work for the team, we send you home.’ Otherwise, he tears his last hair out he has got.”

Hamilton currently sits in third place in the Drivers’ Championship, although he would have jumped into second had he won the race in Mexico City, while his teammate could’ve climbed above his current fifth place had he finished second.

The Brit now finds himself just two points behind Verstappen as he eyes up a runners-up spot in the table.

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