Toto Wolff draws parallel between Ferrari spat and Lewis Hamilton-Nico Rosberg era

Toto Wolff has said he can "so relate" to what Fred Vasseur is going through at Ferrari with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, drawing a direct line to his own experience managing the seven-time F1 champion and Nico Rosberg at Mercedes a decade ago.

The comparison comes after Hamilton and Leclerc clashed on the opening lap of the Mexico City Grand Prix, with Leclerc running across the grass at Turn 4 while disputing the lead, rejoining ahead of his teammate.

In doing so, it demoted Hamilton behind Max Verstappen. Hamilton vented over team radio that Leclerc had pushed him off track, and argued afterwards that the five-second penalty handed to his teammate did nothing to address the imbalance, since Leclerc kept the clean air at the front.

Hamilton's continued pointed comments over the team radio only served to inflame matters, at one stage claiming the team has "big, big problems". The incident sparked a meeting on the following Thursday in São Paulo between Vasseur, Hamilton and Leclerc to clear the air.

Speaking to media, including RacingNews365, Wolff drew a striking parallel to his own management of Hamilton and Rosberg between 2013 and 2016, a four-year spell that ended with Rosberg's retirement days after winning the title.

"Fred doesn't need any advice from me," said Wolff.

"But it's like déjà vu because you've asked me exactly the same question for how many years? 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, was it? 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.

"So, in that respect, I can so relate to what Fred is going through at the moment."

Asked about Hamilton's radio messages in Mexico City, Wolff suggested such moments can serve a purpose.

"Sometimes it needs the really tough ones to make a point," he said.

"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.

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