Lewis Hamilton Ferrari dispute sparks ‘deja vu’ remark from Toto Wolff

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has admitted he sees parallels between the current tensions at Ferrari and what he experienced with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

After a clash with teammate Charles Leclerc on the opening lap of the Mexico City Grand Prix prevented him from taking what he believed would have been a probable win from pole position, Hamilton called on Ferrari post-race to open “serious talks” as the team had a “big problem”.

Toto Wolff weighs in on escalating Ferrari tensions

But while that had not materialised by the time Hamilton next addressed the media on Thursday in Brazil – owing to Leclerc and Fred Vasseur’s late arrivals – the Ferrari team principal subsequently divulged on Friday that a conversation had taken place.

Amid the barrage of questions being directed at Vasseur about the situation during the team bosses’ press conference, Wolff intervened to recall that he had experienced the same scrutiny during Hamilton’s spell alongside Rosberg at Mercedes.

“Fred doesn’t need any advice from me, but it’s like a deja vu,” he said.

“You’ve asked me exactly the same questions for how many years? 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. That was it, and 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, and a situation that is under the media spotlight if those cars race at the front.”

From experience, Wolff contended that, in some regard, an on-track incident between teammates can be valuable in allowing the chance for boundaries to be re-established.

“So, in that respect, I can so relate to what Fred goes through at the moment,” he continued.

“And I think sometimes it needs the really tough ones, like the last one, to make a point. It was always when I was there 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, many thousands of people, the brand, who work together, and that’s what they need to keep in their heads.”

More on the Ferrari intra-team dispute

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Indeed, despite being unwilling to be drawn on what his discussion with Hamilton and Leclerc entailed, Vasseur did reveal that he has reminded both drivers that the Ferrari brand and the 2000 others representing it come before their personal interests.

“I said that the message was clear, it’s that I think it’s true for Ferrari, but it’s true for every single team on the grid: they are working for the team, and the team has to come first,” he stressed.

“For sure, in this situation, we failed collectively because we were 1-2 and we didn’t win the race at the end. That means it’s clear that we failed, and we have to react.

“But yes, the conclusion of the meeting yesterday evening was clear. It was a clear reminder that Ferrari is coming first. It’s coming first for the brand, for the employees, for the Tifosi, and this, we have to keep it in mind.”

Rosberg divulged several years down the line that his crash with Hamilton at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, the most notorious incident between the pair, prompted Wolff to threaten his drivers with the prospect of a race suspension.

When that account was put to him, Vasseur said: “I’m not sure that 10 years ago Toto told you exactly the content of the discussion with Nico and Lewis, and I will do exactly the same now.

“We had a discussion, but it has to stay private. It’s a matter of respect also for them and for the team.

“But once again, the most important [thing] is the message. The message is that we are working for a brand; we are working for sponsors, but I would say we are probably mainly working for the employees of the team.”

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