Exclusive: Lewis Hamilton-Charles Leclerc Ferrari feud branded 'a good problem to have'

Guenther Steiner has waded into Ferrari's latest F1 driver drama, insisting the team principal Fred Vasseur is dealing with "a good problem to have" after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc clashed again in Mexico City on Sunday.

Hamilton and Leclerc ran off circuit together at Turn 4 on the opening lap of the Mexico City Grand Prix as they fought for the lead. It culminated in Leclerc cutting across the grass at Turn 5 to emerge ahead, while Hamilton dropped behind Max Verstappen.

The four-time F1 champion went on to win the race after Leclerc was handed a five-second penalty for gaining a lasting advantage off-track. It marked the latest flashpoint between the Ferrari teammates in 2026, following incidents at Zandvoort and on the opening lap at Monza.

Vasseur has previously rejected calls for formal written rules of engagement between the two drivers, preferring informal team principles over a rigid hierarchy.

Steiner, the former Haas team principal, believes that approach is the correct one given the personalities involved.

Speaking about the situation, Steiner said it was not a case of Ferrari facing a crisis, but rather the kind of dilemma most teams would envy.

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Steiner - 'Hamilton was frustrated'

"It's a good problem to have," said Steiner. "Now, you could say there's never a good problem.

"But you've two very good drivers. Obviously, how do you manage them? But I've been in similar positions. You cannot manage the drivers when they're out there racing.

"I'm not saying that what Charles did was 100 per cent right, but it was also not completely wrong. He's a race car driver. He wants to push as well. In the end, it ended badly again. That's the unfortunate thing.

"But to find a solution there, I don't envy Fred because you've got two champions, two very good drivers, and obviously they both want to win.

"Obviously, what happened didn't help them because they didn't win the race, but what can you do?

"Lewis was frustrated, but I don't think that Charles backed down. He said, 'Okay, I cannot just sit there waiting to be second. That doesn't work for a race car driver.

"It's not easy to manage, but it's better to have this problem than a guy who is not performing, one of the two."

Steiner also backed Vasseur personally to handle the fallout, pointing to the Frenchman's track record of standing firm with strong-willed drivers.

Asked about Vasseur's approach, Steiner said: "In the end you want the team to perform, but then you need everything to perform.

"At least they didn't run into each other. They were smart enough not to do that, so it's not easy. But as I said, it's a good problem to have, not a bad one."