Breaking: Lewis Hamilton under fire from Ferrari as team-mate an…read more

Lewis Hamilton under fire from Ferrari as team-mate an…read more

Tensions briefly flared within Scuderia Ferrari during the Sprint race at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix after an on-track battle between team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc sparked frustration and sharp radio messages.

Although the new Formula 1 season has only just begun, the Ferrari drivers already found themselves in a tense wheel-to-wheel moment while fighting near the front of the field at the Shanghai International Circuit.

At the start of Saturday’s Sprint race, Hamilton made a strong launch from fourth on the grid and immediately challenged George Russell for the race lead. The seven-time world champion pushed hard in the opening laps, briefly trading positions with the Mercedes driver and showing impressive pace in the early stages. However, after several laps of intense battling, Hamilton began to lose momentum and soon found his Ferrari team-mate Leclerc closing rapidly behind him.

Leclerc appeared quicker at that stage of the race and looked ready to move past Hamilton. When the opportunity came, the Monegasque driver attempted an overtake into Turn 1. He initially managed to slip ahead, but Hamilton responded immediately. The British driver executed a switchback move heading into Turn 2, placing his car back alongside Leclerc and forcing the pair into a tight side-by-side situation.

The moment became particularly tense approaching Turn 3. Hamilton’s positioning pushed Leclerc toward the inside kerbs, leaving the latter with little room to maneuver. To avoid potential contact between the two Ferraris, Leclerc had to run aggressively over the kerbing. While the move avoided a collision, it clearly irritated him.

Leclerc quickly voiced his frustration over team radio, questioning whether Hamilton had left enough racing room. In an exasperated message to the Ferrari pit wall, he complained about the lack of space during the maneuver and suggested his team-mate should be aware of how wide modern Formula 1 cars are.

Despite the heated exchange, the battle continued for several more corners. Leclerc refused to back down and fought back immediately. On the exit of the next sequence, he pushed his way back past Hamilton and successfully reclaimed second place. From that point onward, he managed to hold the position for the remainder of the Sprint race.

The late stages of the race featured another twist when a safety car was deployed, bunching the field together and setting up a dramatic three-lap restart. With the pack tightly grouped again, Leclerc sensed an opportunity to challenge Russell for victory.

However, that chance slipped away almost instantly. As the race resumed, Leclerc suffered a sudden snap of oversteer while exiting the penultimate corner onto the main straight. The loss of rear grip forced him to correct the car and cost him valuable momentum, effectively ending his hopes of attacking Russell for the win.

After the race, Leclerc explained that the tyres were colder than he had anticipated during the restart. He noticed Russell briefly struggle with grip ahead of him and believed that moment might open the door for an attack. Trying to capitalize, he applied more throttle than usual, but the rear of his Ferrari stepped out in a similar fashion.

Although he managed to regain control and avoid a spin, the moment ended his challenge. Russell went on to secure the Sprint victory, while Leclerc settled for second place and Hamilton finished just behind after their dramatic intra-team battle.