Lewis Hamilton dismisses Ferrari radio drama: ‘I won’t apologize for being a fighter’

Lewis Hamilton Shrugs Off Ferrari Radio Drama After Heated Miami GP

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tensions flared and tempers ran hot during Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton at the center of a heated moment on the Ferrari team radio. However, the seven-time world champion shrugged off the controversy after the race, emphasizing his competitive spirit and making clear there would be no apologies for his fiery attitude on track.

The On-Track Drama

The drama unfolded as Hamilton battled alongside teammate Charles Leclerc while the duo pursued Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli for sixth place. The Ferrari pit wall hesitated over a driver swap between their two drivers—a decision that sparked visible frustration from Hamilton. After being told to swap positions, Hamilton’s irritation boiled over. "Have a tea break while you're at it, come on!" he snapped, exasperated by the delay.

Ultimately, when Hamilton was unable to close in on Antonelli, the Ferrari pit wall requested the drivers reverse positions in the closing laps, leaving Leclerc to finish ahead of a still-frustrated Hamilton. To compound the situation, as Williams' Carlos Sainz began closing in, Hamilton fired back at his race engineer Riccardo Adami, saying sarcastically: "Do you want to let him by too?"

Hamilton’s Post-Race Explanation

After the race, Hamilton addressed the animated exchanges, clarifying that his frustration stemmed from Ferrari's indecisiveness, not an argument with the team itself. "It wasn’t even anger," Hamilton explained. "It wasn’t like, effing and blinding or anything like that. It was just, ‘Make a decision! You’re sitting there on the chair, you’ve got the stuff in front of you, make the decision, quick.’ That’s how I was."

Hamilton defended the passion behind his messages. "I’ve still got my fire in my belly," he said. "I’m not going to apologize for being a fighter. I’m not going to apologize for still wanting it. I know everyone in the team does too. And I truly believe that when we fix some of the problems we’ve got with the car, we’ll be back in the fight with Mercedes and the [Red] Bulls."

The Briton also laughed off suggestions that his team radio quips had taken center stage during the race broadcast. "Jeez, I mean, it was all PG at least, right? It’s part of the heat of the battle. You’ve got to understand we’re under a huge amount of pressure within the car. You’re never going to get the most peaceful, relaxed messages in those moments."

Fred Vasseur’s Perspective

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur played down the drama while supporting the team’s decision to swap the drivers. "I can perfectly understand the frustration," Vasseur said. "They are champions; they want to win races. We are asking them to let the team go. It’s not easy. It’s never easy."

Vasseur acknowledged the complexities of managing tire wear, strategy, and the drag reduction system (DRS) in real time but stood by the team’s approach, even if things might have been executed differently with hindsight. "You can argue it would have been better to do it half a lap before or half a lap later, but when you’re on the pit wall, making those calls isn’t easy. They did what we asked them to do."

Despite conversations after the race, Vasseur suggested any tension between Hamilton and the team was quickly forgotten. "Fred came to my room," Hamilton revealed with a smile. "I just put my hand on his shoulder and said, ‘Dude, calm down, don’t be so sensitive.’ Look, some of it was sarcasm. It’s the heat of the moment."

Ferrari’s Struggles Overshadow the Drama

While the radio exchanges stole the spotlight, Ferrari’s disappointing overall performance eclipsed any mid-race squabbles. The Scuderia struggled to keep pace with the front-runners, finishing seventh and eighth, as McLaren cruised to a 1-2 finish.

Reflecting on the team’s sluggish performance, Vasseur said the post-race focus should be on Ferrari’s gap to the leaders, not on emotional exchanges between drivers and engineers. "It’s not the story of the day," Vasseur emphasized. "I’d be much more keen to speak about why we finished one minute behind McLaren."

The Path Forward for Ferrari

With both Hamilton and Leclerc out of podium contention in Miami, the question now looms whether Ferrari has the tools to close the gap to its rivals in the coming rounds. For Hamilton, the answer lies in maintaining the passion that defines him. "We’re not where we want to be," he admitted, "but when we solve some of these issues, we’ll be back where we belong—fighting at the front."

As the calendar moves forward, only time will tell if Ferrari’s internal frustrations can be channeled into tangible improvements on the track. Until then, it’s clear Hamilton won’t be toning down his fighting spirit anytime soon.

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