Steiner: Hamilton-Leclerc Flashpoints Are 'a Good Problem to Have' for Ferrari

Guenther Steiner has shrugged off Ferrari's latest intra-team flashpoint, calling the Hamilton-Leclerc rivalry "a good problem to have" for Fred Vasseur. The pair ran off the road together at Turn 4 on the opening lap in Mexico City, Leclerc cutting across the grass at Turn 5 to hold the lead — and his five-second penalty for gaining a lasting advantage ultimately handed the win to Max Verstappen.

Why it matters:

It is the third Hamilton-Leclerc flare-up of 2026, after Zandvoort and the opening lap at Monza, and this one cost Ferrari a victory. Vasseur has resisted written rules of engagement, betting that informal principles work better than a hard hierarchy with two champions sharing a garage.

The details:

• Steiner, the former Haas team principal, frames it as an enviable dilemma: "You've two very good drivers… you cannot manage the drivers when they're out there racing."
• He stopped short of convicting Leclerc: "Not 100 per cent right, but also not completely wrong. He's a race car driver."
• Hamilton was visibly frustrated afterwards, though Steiner read Leclerc's stance as a refusal to settle for second.
• The saving grace was contact avoided — "they were smart enough not to do that" — and Steiner's verdict on Vasseur's job: "I don't envy Fred."

What's next:

No rule change is coming. Steiner's argument is that the alternative — one driver simply underperforming — is far worse, and Ferrari's hope is that the friction stays sharp without turning self-destructive over the closing rounds of the season.