Damon Hill doubles down on Lewis Hamilton demand as Ferrari face major decision

Damon Hill has doubled down on his claim that Ferrari has to make Lewis Hamilton its clear number one driver if the team wants to win the world title.

Hamilton’s rivalry with his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc reached a new low at the Mexican Grand Prix when the teammates clashed on the opening lap.

Damon Hill wants Ferrari to make Lewis Hamilton its number one driver

While Hamilton muscled Leclerc off the track at Turn 1, both were off at Turn 4 as they fought for the lead. Leclerc emerged in P1 but was given a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage off the track.

Both drivers were unhappy, with Leclerc saying he would argue that Hamilton “pushed me off the track”, while the Briton declared that Leclerc was “working against” him.

Hamilton blamed Leclerc for costing Ferrari the victory, saying: “Ultimately, that lost us the win today. We have to have some serious talks behind closed doors.”

Tensions continued into the Brazilian GP weekend where Hamilton claimed that Leclerc “definitely” races his teammates harder than he does the rest of the field.

Although the seven-time world champion eventually declared that “everything’s good”, there’s no doubt that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is dealing with a volatile situation.

One that Hill believes could be resolved by giving Hamilton number one status within the team.

He said so after Mexico, taking to social media to say: “Here is where I stand on the Lewis v Charles debate: make Lewis #1 Ferrari driver.

“Sort it out. Make it clear. Ends all debate.

“Lewis will deliver for Ferrari. If they back him 100%.”

The 1996 F1 world champion doubled down on that after the Brazilian Grand Prix, even though Hamilton finished behind Leclerc.

The Briton took the chequered flag in ninth place, a lap down on race winner Lando Norris, while Leclerc was seventh before a five-second penalty for a clash with Liam Lawson dropped him to eighth.

Hill told Sky Sports’ The F1 Show: “They [Ferrari] have invested all this in Lewis, they’ve got him on board, he is a massive name in the sport.

“If they have a competitive car next year, they could win the Drivers’ Championship and the Constructors’ Championship, and I can’t see how they’re going to win it if they have two drivers currently behaving the way they do, if Charles is constantly racing against Lewis like that.

“So, you have to make a decision as a team principal how you’re going to enter into the fray. And I think it makes sense to me to put all your eggs behind Lewis.

“You’ve got him there anyway. You’ve gone through all the pain and the investment to get him there. It would be a huge story, clearly. His eighth world title is just sitting there.

“Now Charles might say: ‘Well, this is totally unfair, I’ve been here longer’ – yes, you have been there longer, but look at the results.

“Lewis has got a valid point, which is he’s there to make them win as a team, not just be a Ferrari driver.”

Hill insists Ferrari needs to resolve the teammate rivalry if it wants to challenge for the F1 2027 title – and do so in Hamilton’s favour.

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“I think there’s a gravitas that Lewis has. Don’t forget what he was like last year. He was crushed.

“He’s been crushed since Abu Dhabi in 2021 in effect. He’s been fighting his way back. He’s performed incredibly well this year, much better than I thought, considering I thought it was going to be very difficult, but he’s rebuilt himself.

“He is an extraordinary individual. And I think he has, and he’s got pole positions and won races this year in a Ferrari. Who would have said that was possible last year?

“And I think we need to settle this in the team because there’s a political problem in that team,” he said.

“For me, it seems like there’s factions within the team that are shooting for one side or the other.

“You can’t have that if you’re going to be an effective competitor against the Red Bulls, McLaren and Mercedes.”

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