Lewis Hamilton denies meddling in management as Nico Rosberg weighs in on Ferrari crisis

The denial comes as scrutiny around Maranello intensifies following another frustrating Spanish Grand Prix at Madring, where Hamilton retired with a braking-system problem while Charles Leclerc salvaged fourth place.

Italian media reports suggested Hamilton was pushing Team Principal Fred Vasseur to reshape Ferrari’s trackside operation. The seven-time World Champion responded directly on social media.

Hamilton 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 and lift people to be the best versions 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," concluded Hamilton's message.

Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg has meanwhile questioned whether Ferrari’s underlying operational weaknesses have really disappeared.

The 2016 Formula 1 World Champion believes Ferrari now possesses sufficient performance to challenge towards the front, but its execution continues to leave opportunities on the table.

Speaking on The F1 Show podcast, Rosberg said: “Isn’t it true that Ferrari always has messy race weekends? Their Achilles’ heel simply still lies in strategy and communication. That has always been a weak point, and it still is.”

Ferrari gambled with Leclerc’s strategy in Madrid, starting him on the Hard tyre and extending his opening stint while hoping for a Safety Car, Virtual Safety Car or red flag.

That intervention never arrived at the right moment. Leclerc eventually finished fourth, although Ferrari maintained afterwards that the alternative strategy had been worth pursuing on a circuit where overtaking proved difficult.

Rosberg believes Hamilton’s retirement disguised how competitive Ferrari was: “Even in Madrid on Sunday, Lewis would have finished a comfortable second in the race. He would have finished second, behind Kimi [Antonelli], after Max [Verstappen] had to let him pass.”

Hamilton had qualified fourth after briefly holding provisional pole during Q3, while Ferrari showed enough pace across the weekend to suggest a major result was possible.

Instead, his first retirement of the 2026 season effectively ended any realistic Championship aspirations. Hamilton subsequently acknowledged Antonelli and Mercedes now appear beyond Ferrari’s reach, with the Italian extending his Championship advantage after victory in Madrid.

Ferrari therefore leaves Spain facing two separate narratives. Hamilton has firmly rejected suggestions he is trying to restructure the team, while Rosberg believes the more familiar problem remains how Maranello executes race weekends.

For low-profile Vasseur and Ferrari, improving that execution may prove considerably more important than answering another round of speculation over who controls what inside the Scuderia.