Lewis Hamilton crashed his Ferrari into the barriers during final practice for the Madrid Grand Prix on Saturday, then ignored his engineer's repeated instructions to stop the car despite heavy damage to the front wing.
The seven-time world champion was on course to set the fastest time of the session when he veered off track and into the barriers ahead of qualifying. The collision left the car with major front wing damage, and Hamilton was told to leave the vehicle and allow a recovery truck to bring it back to the garage.
Instead, the 41-year-old reversed out of the barriers himself and rejoined the track, seemingly determined to drive the car back to the pits despite the damage. He was repeatedly told to 'stop the car' over the radio but carried on with a punctured tyre before eventually coming to a halt.
Hamilton has been at the centre of tension behind the scenes at Ferrari, following an explosive clash with team-mate Charles Leclerc at last weekend's Italian Grand Prix. Hamilton, who joined Ferrari from Mercedes, is chasing a record-extending eighth world title with the Italian team.
Leclerc clash in Italy
Hamilton was squeezed off the track by Leclerc in the second half of the first chicane during early exchanges of position last Sunday, an error the team judged to be the Monegasque driver's fault. 'Charles pushed me off,' Hamilton said at the time.
Leclerc crashed out moments later at the Parabolica in a separate, unrelated incident that was also his own mistake. Hamilton went on to finish sixth, a result that added up to a poor weekend for Ferrari on home soil.
In a message to team principal Fred Vasseur, Hamilton said: 'Here there are no rules. And that's something that needs to change. When I was at Mercedes we had written rules of engagement. And we never had it too bad.'
'There was a moment with me and Nico a couple of times. But more often than not, it was good. Here there are no rules.'
Clearing the air with Leclerc
Speaking ahead of the Madrid Grand Prix, Hamilton said he had since held direct talks with his team-mate. 'What is great is that there was no shying away from having a discussion,' he said. 'We sat face to face, just him (Charles) and me, and talked about it and we were both honest and open and then we quashed it and moved on.'
'That shows maturity from him and it is healthy. It is a relationship we have built over time.'
Hamilton said frustrations between the pair were natural given how closely matched they are on pace. 'There are going to be frustrations along the way. And there will be more times where we are close because we are approximate in pace and we both want to win as much as each other and do well for the team, but, yes, it is really positive.'
'I spoke to Fred (Vasseur) on Monday and we had clearing out discussions. Naturally we are going to have different opinions, but we come together to find a way forward, and that is the positive of where we have got to over the past 15 months, when we can have really great communication internally, and same with me and Charles. If you look at the history of the sport, this happened before, so it is no biggie.'
Rules of engagement still unresolved
Hamilton had spoken after the Italian Grand Prix about the need for formal rules of engagement between him and Leclerc. Asked whether those had now been agreed, he said no.
'Right now I am trying to focus on having a better weekend,' he said. 'I am sure at some stage we will discuss how we can be better but we have not had a lot of time. You can't change things in two days.'
Championship gap to Antonelli
Hamilton's deficit to Mercedes championship leader Kimi Antonelli stands at 76 points, with 10 rounds remaining in the season. Hamilton, still chasing a never-achieved eighth world title, described it as the biggest gap he has seen in years at this stage of a season.
'Mathematically it is not impossible, but it is the biggest gap I have seen in a long, long time, and at this stage of the year, too,' he said. 'Mercedes are the leaders, out ahead, and doing a fantastic job and we should just focus on doing our best each weekend.'
'My job at Ferrari is a long-term process and not something that will change this weekend,' Hamilton added. 'There are a huge amount of moving parts, a lot of people, and a culture that has been there for a long time. Moving pieces are not so easy. It doesn't happen overnight. But we will get there.'
