Lewis Hamilton Fights Back Against Explosive Ferrari 'Power Struggle' Claims as Title Hopes Crumble

Lewis Hamilton has publicly rejected reports of a Ferrari 'power struggle', insisting he has 'never asked for anyone on [his] team to be replaced' even as his 2026 title hopes fade.

The seven-time world champion moved to end the speculation on Thursday, using an Instagram story to address claims made by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that he had pushed for trackside staff to be removed and that his relationship with team principal Frédéric Vasseur had cooled.

'I've never asked for anyone on my team to be replaced,' Hamilton wrote. 'Everyone I work with works hard every day, and their dedication is what moves us forward.'

He added: 'I always try to empower and lift people to be the best versions of themselves or at least see the best in themselves. I may not always achieve that but it's my intention and what I'm here to do. We all work together and that will continue.'

Title Bid Unravelling as Ferrari Form Dips

The denial comes as Hamilton's title challenge fades. He trails Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli by 101 points with nine rounds left, having collected just eight points from the last two Grands Prix at Monza and Madrid.

It is a sharp reversal from the summer, when Hamilton's maiden Ferrari victory in Barcelona in June appeared to put an eighth world championship back within reach. Since then, Ferrari have gone without a podium finish, their last rostrum appearance coming at Spa in July.

Monza brought further frustration. Hamilton finished sixth after being forced into the gravel on the opening lap by team-mate Charles Leclerc, who later crashed out, prompting Hamilton to demand 'rules of engagement' between the pair. A week later in Madrid, a brake failure ended his race early and further dented his title hopes.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after retiring in Madrid, Hamilton conceded the championship was beyond him. 'I think there's no stopping him and Mercedes this year,' he said of Antonelli. 'They've done a phenomenal job and they deserve it.'

How the 'Power Struggle' Story Emerged

The Corriere della Sera report cast Hamilton as the driving force behind a possible reshuffle at Maranello, following a series of public disagreements over Ferrari's strategy and the team's handling of its drivers.

At the Dutch Grand Prix in August he complained over team radio about being held up behind Leclerc, and at Monza he remarked that 'the buck starts with Fred' following the first-lap collision.

Personnel changes at Ferrari are not new. The team changed Hamilton's engineering set-up for 2026 after Riccardo Adami moved to a role within the Ferrari Driver Academy following a difficult debut season in 2025, in which Hamilton failed to reach the podium and finished sixth in the standings, 86 points behind Leclerc.

Carlo Santi initially worked as Hamilton's interim race engineer, while Cedric Michel-Grosjean joined Ferrari as part of the revised engineering set-up. Santi subsequently continued to work closely with Hamilton, who developed a strong relationship with his new race engineer.

That history provided context for the reports of further changes, but it is the suggestion that Hamilton is now agitating for further departures that he has been keen to shut down.

The Corriere della Sera report also suggested that his relationship with Vasseur had become strained, although Hamilton did not directly address that claim in his statement.

For now, his message is one of unity rather than upheaval. With nine races still to run and Ferrari without a podium since the summer, scrutiny on both driver and team is likely to remain intense.