Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc Ferrari tension gives Toto Wolff “deja vu” after Mercedes escalation

The feud between Ferrari Formula 1 drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc has reminded Toto Wolff of past tensions he had to deal with at Mercedes. 

Aside from Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s coronation, the major talking point from last Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix was the costly opening-lap clash between Ferrari pair Hamilton and Leclerc. 

Hamilton and Leclerc’s first-lap squabble ultimately opened the door for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to snatch victory, and left the dicing Ferrari drivers pointing the finger of blame at each other. 

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur got both Hamilton and Leclerc together for a crunch meeting in Brazil on Thursday evening in a bid to clear-the-air and squash any lingering bad blood before this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix. 

The situation acted as “deja vu” for Wolff, who had to manage increasingly escalating tensions between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg as they battled it out for world titles at Mercedes between 2014 and 2016. 

“Fred here doesn't need any advice from me, but it's like déjà vu,” Wolff said on Friday. “You've asked me exactly the same questions for how many years? 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. Then Nico called it a day. Four years, exactly the same situation. 

“Sometimes when you put two strong drivers in there, the best ones have edges and they want to win, and that is a situation that is always very difficult to cope with, obviously under the media spotlight if those cars race at the front. 

“In that respect, I can so relate to what Fred goes through at the moment. And I think sometimes it needs the really tough ones, where, like the last one, to make a point.”

At the height of the ferocious Mercedes rivalry, Wolff famously threatened Hamilton and Rosberg with suspension from the team after their collision at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix wiped out both Silver Arrows cars from the race. 

“It was always when I was there with Nico and Lewis, when there was an accident, it was understood that that was now the limit, and it wouldn't continue like this,” the Austrian added. 

"That's why maybe it needed to escalate to that point, because it's respect for the team, many thousands of people, the brand, who work together, and that's what they need to keep in their heads.” 

Vasseur, however, would give nothing away regarding the finer details of the discussion that he had with Hamilton and Leclerc, beyond stressing the resounding conclusion was that Ferrari must come first. 

“I'm not sure that Toto ten years ago told you exactly the content of the discussion with Nico and Lewis, and I will do exactly the same,” Vasseur said. “We had the discussion. It has to stay private. It's a matter of respect also for them and for the team.

"But once again, the most important is the message [is clear]. The message is that we are working for a brand, we are working for sponsors, but I would say we are probably mainly working for the employees of the team."