Ferrari 'management failure' prompts Fred Vasseur scolding: 'You need a ruthless leader'

Ferrari has been told the tension generated between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in Mexico City last weekend was the result of "management failure" within the team.

The duo were battling for the lead on the opening lap last Sunday, with Leclerc attacking Hamilton in a move that saw them go side-by-side through Turn 4.

Both drivers ran off the track, allowing Max Verstappen to slip through ahead of Hamilton, and eventually ahead of Leclerc for the lead when the Monegasque driver was issued a five-second time penalty for gaining an advantage off the track.

Hamilton vented his anger after the grand prix, with Verstappen going on to seal the win for Red Bull.

It did not mark the first time this year that the Ferrari drivers have come to blows, as at its home round at Monza in September, Hamilton was pushed wide and into the gravel on the opening lap by Leclerc.

When asked if Ferrari should have enforced racing rules between their drivers from the beginning of their stint together, Daly exclusively told RacingNews365: "Yes.

"It was a management failure on behalf of Ferrari. Go back to their most successful days with [Michael] Schumacher and Jean Todt calling the shots.

"Jean Todt was a lot more ruthless than Fred Vasseur [Ferrari team principal], and in the situation you have right now, you need a ruthless leader. I have yet to see Fred Vasseur become a ruthless leader."

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Ferrari boss warned of 'major problem' going forward

Hamilton joined Ferrari last year after bringing the curtain down on his successful stint with Mercedes, where he won six titles to establish himself as the most successful driver in the sport's history.

Having partnered up with Leclerc, who has been part of the Ferrari set-up for some time, Daly believes Vasseur's hands are tied when it comes to team orders.

"Fred Vasseur has a major issue on his hands," he said. "There is no way he can suggest to Charles Leclerc, 'I want you to give way to Lewis more often'.

"And there's no way he's going to be able to go to Lewis and say, 'I want you to give way'."

Ferrari has not been able to consistently challenge at the front of the field this year, with Mercedes already clinching the drivers' title, while it also sits on the verge of the constructors' championship.

While Daly believes Ferrari has gained commercially by Hamilton joining, he insisted it traded away car development when it closed the door on Carlos Sainz.

"Lewis is at the end of his career," Daly said. "There are very few opportunities left to win races. Lewis can almost get into a desperate situation.

"Part of the fascination of F1 is, how do you manage these star names? I don't think it's easy, but remember, Lewis' greatest days are behind him.

"Ferrari, as a team, need to be careful that the power of the marketing machine that is Lewis Hamilton isn't detrimental to the growth and development from an engineering standpoint of the team and of the cars.

"Lewis is not the feedback driver that George Russell is or that Carlos Sainz is. They took the marketing machine, and their marketing machine is bigger than ever, but they sacrificed, I believe, car development."