Not for the first time this year, the team radio communication between Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari became a talking point after the Monaco GP.
In this instance, it was a lack of communication that generated discourse after the chequered flag fell in Monte Carlo.
Hamilton spent most of the Grand Prix running his own race in 5th, too far away from drivers in front or behind to change positions.
This should have, in theory, made his team radio messages relatively straightforward.
Of course, this was anything but true, with Hamilton not receiving any responses from his race engineer on numerous occasions.
Still, like his team principal Fred Vasseur, the 7-time Champion has downplayed suggestions of any problem.
Hamilton rejects claims of tension with engineer
Adjusting to a new F1 team, let alone Ferrari, is always going to be a difficult process.
The Maranello team inevitably receive more scrutiny than other teams, so adding the sport’s most accomplished driver to the mix will inevitably intensify this effect.
On one side of the coin, Hamilton and Ferrari’s success, such as their Sprint Race win in China, are magnified.
On the other side, criticism will be intense in moments of confusion or poor execution.
This was the case in Monaco, where the Scuderia’s radios messages were once again under the microscope.
Amidst this criticism, Hamilton emphasises there is no reason to overreact:
“It was literally just,” he told Sky Sports.
“There were areas that we just had radio problems through the race.
“I didn’t get all the information that I wanted, and that was it.
“There’s a lot of speculation. I mean most of it’s b******t. Ultimately, we have a great relationship.
“He’s been amazing to work with. He’s a great guy. We’re working so hard. We both are and we don’t always get it right every weekend.
“We have disagreements, like everyone does in relationships, but we work through them.
“We are both in it together, both want to win a championship together and towards lifting the team up.
“So it’s just all noise, and we don’t really pay any attention to it. It can continue if you want, but it doesn’t make any difference to the job that we’re trying to do.”
Crucial weekend for Ferrari
Ultimately, Ferrari are no strangers to being criticised for these kinds of awkward exchanges.
Charles Leclerc’s chemistry with race engineer Xavier Marcos was often a major talking point until last year’s Monaco GP, when Bryan Bozzi replaced the Spaniard in his role.
Because of this, alongside, the relatively minimal importance of team radio, Fred Vasseur is likely unbothered by last weekend’s post-weekend chatter.
What is not insignificant, however, is how Ferrari’s performance will be impacted by the Spain technical directive.
Over the last year, the Scuderia have pushed the limits less than their rivals on flexi-wings.
As a result, they should not lose much time from having to adjust their front wings to comply with the new regulations.
This could potentially offer Hamilton and Leclerc with a chance to be closer to the front-runners on a more consistent basis.
Main photo: Ferrari media gallery
