Lewis Hamilton has revealed he held face-to-face talks with Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc following their opening-lap collision at the Italian Grand Prix.
The pair met ahead of this weekend's first Formula One race in Madrid to iron out issues caused by their coming together at Monza last Sunday.
Hamilton was squeezed off the track by Leclerc in the second half of the first chicane during early position exchanges. The seven-time world champion complained on team radio at the time: "Charles pushed me off."
Officials deemed the clash clearly the Monegasque driver's error. Moments later, Leclerc crashed out at the Parabolica corner in an unrelated incident, while Hamilton recovered to finish sixth, completing a disappointing home weekend for Ferrari in Italy.
The Italian Grand Prix at the Monza circuit near Milan is considered the flagship home event for Scuderia Ferrari, Formula One's oldest team. The Maranello-based squad faces intense public scrutiny during its home race weekend.
Clear-the-air discussions in Madrid
Speaking ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix at its new home in Madrid, Hamilton stated that both drivers addressed the situation directly without hesitation.
"What is great is that there was no shying away from having a discussion," Hamilton 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."
The British driver praised Leclerc's maturity in resolving the disagreement. "That shows maturity from him and it is healthy. It is a relationship we have built over time," Hamilton added.
Hamilton acknowledged that close racing between team-mates naturally creates friction when both drivers are competing for victory. "Of course, there are going to be frustrations along the way," he said. "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."
Internal team dynamic and rules of engagement
In addition to meeting Leclerc, Hamilton held clearing-out discussions on Monday with Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur to review internal team communications.
"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," Hamilton explained. "If you look at the history of the sport, this happened before, so it is no biggie."
Following the race in Italy, Hamilton suggested that Ferrari might need formal rules of engagement to govern on-track battles between its drivers. However, when asked ahead of the Madrid race if those rules had been agreed, Hamilton confirmed no formal plan was in place yet.
"No," Hamilton said. "Right now I am trying to focus on having a better weekend. 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 standing and long-term process
Hamilton currently trails Mercedes driver and championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 76 points in the drivers' standings, presenting a tough challenge as he chases a historic eighth world championship title.
With 10 rounds remaining in the Formula One season, Hamilton conceded that bridging the gap to Mercedes will be difficult. "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 (with 10 rounds remaining)," he said.
Hamilton noted the strong form of his former team, saying: "Mercedes are the leaders, out ahead, and doing a fantastic job and we should just focus on doing our best each weekend."
Despite the current championship gap, Hamilton emphasized that building success at Ferrari is a long-term venture. "My job at Ferrari is a long-term process and not something that will change this weekend," Hamilton said. "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."
