Lewis Hamilton has moved to shut down reports that he requested personnel changes within Ferrari, insisting that he remains fully supportive of the people around him as the team prepares for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.
The seven time Formula 1 world champion responded publicly after reports in the Italian media suggested he had pushed for changes among Ferrari’s trackside personnel following a difficult run of races. Corriere della Sera was reported to have claimed that Hamilton wanted alterations to the group working around him, amid recent frustrations over Ferrari’s race execution and internal management.
Hamilton rejected that suggestion in a social media statement, saying he had “never asked for anyone on my team to be replaced”. He stressed that everyone he works with puts significant effort into the operation and said his intention is to help people perform at their best rather than call for their removal.
The response comes at a sensitive stage of Hamilton’s second season with Ferrari. While there have been encouraging results during 2026, including victory at the Barcelona Catalunya Grand Prix and podium finishes in Canada, Monaco and Britain, recent weekends have presented a series of challenges. Hamilton currently sits third in the Drivers’ Championship with 191 points, behind Mercedes pair Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.
Some of the speculation surrounding Ferrari intensified following the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Hamilton and team mate Charles Leclerc started from the second row, but their race quickly became complicated when they went side by side at the opening chicane. Hamilton ran into the gravel and dropped down the field, while Leclerc later crashed out. Hamilton eventually recovered to finish sixth.
After that race, Hamilton said Ferrari needed to examine how the team communicates and manages situations when its two drivers are racing closely together. He argued that improvements were required to prevent both cars from being placed at unnecessary risk. Team principal Fred Vasseur also indicated that clearer rules of engagement between the drivers could be discussed.
However, Hamilton subsequently made clear that the Monza incident had not created a lasting problem between himself and Leclerc. Ahead of the following race in Madrid, he described their relationship as a good one and said discussions inside Ferrari after Monza had been constructive.
The Spanish Grand Prix then brought another setback. Hamilton qualified fourth at the new Madring circuit and made a strong start, briefly putting himself in position to challenge near the front. But brake problems developed almost immediately, forcing him through several run off areas before Ferrari retired the car after only seven laps. It was Hamilton’s first retirement of the 2026 season.
Hamilton felt Ferrari had shown enough pace in Madrid to fight for a major result before the mechanical problem ended his afternoon. The retirement left him 101 points behind championship leader Antonelli, who claimed his eighth victory of the season in Spain.
Against that background, reports of unrest inside Ferrari inevitably attracted attention. Hamilton’s statement appears designed to draw a clear distinction between wanting the team to improve operationally and asking for individual members of staff to be removed.
The distinction is important because Hamilton has openly discussed areas where Ferrari must develop. Communication, race execution and the management of situations between its two drivers have all been subjects of discussion during recent weekends. But his latest comments make clear that, from his perspective, those conversations should not be interpreted as demands for a major personnel reshuffle.
Attention now turns to Baku, where Ferrari will look to respond on track. The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix takes place from September 24-26, with practice beginning on Thursday, qualifying scheduled for Friday and the 51-lap Grand Prix unusually taking place on Saturday, September 26.
The Baku City Circuit presents a very different challenge from Madrid. Its combination of tight sections through the old city and a long, high speed main straight traditionally places heavy demands on both aerodynamic efficiency and driver confidence. For Ferrari, the weekend offers another opportunity to convert its potential into a stronger overall result.
Hamilton’s immediate priority will be putting the off track speculation behind him and returning the focus to performance. His public response leaves little ambiguity over his position: he wants Ferrari to improve, but he says that improvement should come through collaboration with the people already working around him rather than through the removal of team members.
With the championship entering its final phase and Ferrari still chasing Mercedes in both performance and points, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will provide the next test of whether those internal discussions can translate into a cleaner and more competitive weekend on the circuit.
