Schumacher: Hamilton's Miami rants ‘off the mark’, team trust ‘tarnished’

Ralf Schumacher didn’t hold back in his assessment of Lewis Hamilton’s radio antics during the Miami Grand Prix, taking aim at the seven-time World Champion’s derisive attitude toward his Ferrari team and suggesting the Briton’s behavior was unbecoming of a driver of his stature.

Hamilton, who was audibly frustrated on the team radio as he sat behind Charles Leclerc for much of the race, questioned Ferrari’s strategy and teamwork as he frequently snapped at engineer Riccardo Adami.

Over the radio, he demanded clarity from the latter: “How far are people ahead of Charles? I’m just burning up my tyres behind him.”

Informed that Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli was six seconds ahead, Hamilton snapped, “So you want me to just sit here? [behind Charles] the whole race?”

He didn’t stop there, jabbing, “This is not good teamwork. In China I got out of the way when you were on a different strategy!”

When told a swap was coming, his response dripped with mockery: “Ah, have a tea break while you’re at it! Come on!”

Later, after ceding P7 to Leclerc and told of Carlos Sainz’s deficit behind him, Hamilton fired off: “You want me to let him pass as well?”

The Briton’s comments inevitably drew attention during the race broadcast and led to a private discussion with team principal Fred Vasseur after the checkered flag.

But Hamilton was dismissive of the backlash, telling the media afterward: “Fred came to my room. I just put my hand on his shoulder and was like, ‘dude, calm down, don’t be so sensitive’.

“I could have said way worse things on the radio. You hear some of the things others have said in the past, some of it was sarcasm.

“Look, 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 messages coming through in the heat of the battle. And yeah, it was fine. We said we’ll take it…”

While Vasseur played down the issue, emphasizing the importance of team unity and trust, Schumacher took a different view.

Schumacher’s Verdict: A Tarnished Relationship

Speaking on Sky Deutschland’s Backstage Boxengasse podcast, Schumacher ridiculed Hamilton’s attitude and the attempt to brush off his sharp radio comments as sarcasm.

“‘Mi, mi, mi’ Hamilton, that was somehow off the mark,” Schumacher said.

“If you really want to get past, that’s one thing, he was faster at the time. But then give it back without a fight.

“And afterwards, don’t pretend that you meant it sarcastically. Instead, I just say that I’m sorry.

“That shouldn’t really happen with his experience and his age. He could have acted a bit more cleverly. I think that would have suited him better.”

Schumacher believes that Hamilton’s attitude could have lasting consequences on the seven-time world champion’s integration within the team.

“The people at Ferrari have now got to know Hamilton a bit internally,” the German said. “Of course, the relationship is tarnished by such actions. That will stick and he has to know that himself.

“There is now a need for clarification, and it will definitely be discussed – especially internally, how to deal with it in the future.

“His clear words on the radio and his demands don’t match his performance at the moment. And it doesn’t matter how many times he was World Champion. He may have been closer to Leclerc, but I think he should keep the ball a little flatter at the moment.”

The Pressure is On For Imola

With Ferrari heading to its home race in Imola next week, Schumacher believes the heat is on not just for the drivers, but for team boss Fred Vasseur. While a performance boost is expected, expectations are sky-high.

Read also:

• Hamilton defensive after team radio tirade: 'It was more sarcastic than anything'

“Leclerc was also very frustrated in Miami. I expect the pressure to be very high there too,” Schumacher said.

“At Imola and in Italy, the Ferrari is somehow always a bit faster than anywhere else. Ferrari is also coming there with an update that has to work. Team boss Fred Vasseur is already under a lot of pressure.”

For now, all eyes will be on whether Hamilton can adjust his tone and deliver results — or whether tensions inside Maranello will only intensify.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook