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Latest Ferrari signing Lewis Hamilton started the 2025 Austrian GP in P4 and opted to run the primary strategy, i.e., a two-stop strategy. With 20 laps to go, Ferrari asked Hamilton to put in for the final stop. However, the Briton didn't want to and pushed back against the Scuderia's strategy call, which led to back and forth on the team radio.
Lewis Hamilton had a good start and maintained his starting position despite the chaos on Lap 1, where Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen crashed. After the first few laps, the race settled with the two McLarens sprinting away, and the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton cruising in P3 and P4.
Lewis Hamilton made his first pitstop a few laps apart from teammate Charles Leclerc and the two McLarens. 45 laps into the race, the seven-time F1 champion was running in a comfortable P4 with a seven-second gap to Leclerc and George Russell 20+ seconds behind him in P5.
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After Charles Leclerc pitted, Lewis was promoted to P3, and Ferrari made the call the next lap to pit the British driver. However, Hamilton suggested that his tires felt good and asked the team if his pace was bad enough to warrant a pitstop. Ferrari just responded with the fact that a pitstop with 20 laps to go would guarantee the fastest race, which led to a pushback from Hamilton on the radio.
“Is my pace really bad? Because the tires are fine,” said Hamilton as Ferrari asked him to box.
“We box now for the fastest race, optimal race,” responded the race engineer.
“The tires are okay, can I extend? How many more lap left?” asked Hamilton.
“Box box, 20 laps left,” responded the race engineer.
“I don’t want to stop, 20 laps left,” said the Briton.
Lewis Hamilton eventually gave in and pitted as per Ferrari's instructions. The seven-time champion slotted back into a lonely P4 with neither Leclerc nor Russell in his sight.
Former F1 driver warned Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc of the Team Radio quarrels
Charles Leclerc was frustrated with the team at the Canadian GP as the Ferrari driver wanted to make a one-stop strategy work, but Ferrari insisted on the two-stop strategy. Lewis Hamilton was also involved in a back-and-forth with his team at the Miami GP, where he demanded that the team ask Leclerc to let him by.
Former F1 driver Christian Danner came out and warned the Ferrari drivers about the same, as he said,
“Well, if I were team boss, I'd say, listen up, guys, I don't want to hear any more of these arguments and smug remarks. That's it. Order You simply make a fool of yourself if you constantly talk past each other.”
“If I know I'm going to end up on TV, then I have to think very carefully about whether I might not just press the radio button. And that would be my advice to everyone involved,” he added.
Danner went on to suggest that the authority to make the decision lies with the team and not the drivers.
