Lewis Hamilton issues stern statement to Ferrari shake-up rumours

Lewis Hamilton has vehemently denied claims that he has asked Ferrari to replace members of his trackside crew.

It has been suggested by Italian publication Corriere della Sera that Hamilton is pushing team principal Frederic Vasseur to overhaul parts of his operational and strategy staff following friction during the European leg of the season.

The reports also point to a cooling relationship between Hamilton and Vasseur, with the Ferrari boss said to have rejected a post-Monza request from Hamilton for rigid written rules of engagement between him and team-mate Charles Leclerc.

Ferrari has undergone a series of engineering changes since the start of the year, with long-serving race engineer Riccardo Adami moved into a Driver Academy and historic testing role ahead of the 2026 campaign.

Luca Diella and Cedric Grosjean, arrivals from Mercedes and McLaren respectively, have since been integrated into Hamilton's crew, while the Scuderia has also added external chassis specialists over the summer to reinforce the technical department led by Loïc Serra.

Vasseur has previously dismissed talk of internal turmoil, framing driver requests for improvement as standard practice rather than evidence of a fractured relationship.

Ferrari has also defended Serra against external criticism, calling reports of leadership instability an unwanted distraction.

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Hamilton sets the record straight

Hamilton has addressed the speculation directly on his Instagram page, rejecting any suggestion that he has called for personnel changes.

"I've seen some of the stories that have gone out, and I want to clear it up here," he wrote. "I've never asked for anyone on my team to be replaced.

"Everyone I work with works hard every day, and their dedication is what moves us forward.

"I always try to empower or lift people to be the best version of themselves, or at least see the best in themselves.

"I may not always achieve that, but it's my intention and what I'm here to do. We all work together, and that will continue."

No specific individuals within Ferrari's trackside operation were named in the original report.