Lewis Hamilton told “it shouldn’t have happened”, rant may “strain” Ferrari bond

Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher has called out Lewis Hamilton after the Miami Grand Prix, saying his comments on the team radio could “strain” his relationship with Ferrari.

Hamilton was heard making several jibes during a difficult race for Ferrari, most infamously telling his race engineer to “have a tea break while you’re at it” while the team discussed swapping positions between him and Charles Leclerc.

The two Ferrari drivers were running on different tyre strategies in the race and the Briton asked the team to impose team orders when he was on the faster medium rubber.

Leclerc did let Hamilton through after being instructed to do so by the team, but by then the 40-year-old’s tyres were well past their prime, forcing Ferrari to swap them again.

Leclerc eventually wound up seventh in the lead SF-25, while Hamilton crossed the finish line in eighth after a last-lap battle with Williams driver Carlos Sainz.

Following the race, much of the focus was on Hamilton’s comments, which received a mixed reaction from fans and pundits alike.

Lewis Hamilton criticised for Ferrari radio rant

Six-time grand prix winner Schumacher believes Hamilton “could have acted a bit more cleverly” in that situation given his vast experience in F1.

“That was somehow wrong,” he told Sky Germany. “If you really want to overtake, that's one thing; he was also faster at the time. ‘But then I give it back without a fight. And afterwards I won't act as if I meant it sarcastically. Instead I'll just say that I'm sorry.’

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

Hamilton has made a difficult start to life at Ferrari, with results proving hard to come in a car that has not been a match to McLaren, Red Bull and even Mercedes in most races so far.

After the opening seven rounds of the season, Hamilton sits seventh in the championship on 41 points, two places and 11 points off Leclerc.

In a staunch remake, Schumacher criticised the seven-champion for his choice of words at a team when his performance has been below expectations.

"The people at Ferrari have gotten to know Hamilton a bit internally now,” he said. “Such actions naturally strain the relationship. This will stick, and he has to recognise that himself.

“There's a need for clarification now; it will definitely be discussed – especially internally – about how to deal with this in the future.

“His strong words on the radio, his demands, don't really match his performance at the moment. And it doesn't matter how many times he's been world champion. He was closer to Leclerc now, but I think he should also keep his approach a bit more relaxed at the moment.”

Schumacher believes the team radio saga that embroiled Ferrari in Miami stemmed from the team’s competitive struggles in F1.

"Leclerc was also very frustrated in Miami,” he explained. “I expect the pressure to be very high there as well. In Imola and Italy, the Ferrari is somehow always a bit faster than anywhere else. Ferrari is also coming with an update there, and it has to work. Team boss Fred Vasseur is already under a lot of pressure."