- Former F1 star Timo Glock warns Ferrari to intervene in driver battles.
- Wheel-to-wheel racing between Leclerc and Hamilton risks double-retirement.
- Ferrari must implement rules before intra-team rivalry gifts Mercedes points.
Former F1 driver Timo Glock gave a piece of advice to team principal Frederic Vasseur regarding the latest wheel-to-wheel battles on track between Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. He believes that the team needs to warn them before things slip through their hands and start costing them several points.
While Mercedes is dominating the races at the moment, Ferrari drivers have finally gotten a competitive car, which is giving tough competition to the German team on track. Apart from the grid, a prime Leclerc and an experienced Hamilton have been aggressively competing against each other too, for securing the best points, as evidenced by their battle in China and briefly in Japan.
As exciting as wheel-to-wheel fights and overtakes may appear to fans, they could also create big problems for both the team and the drivers. This is because it could complicate race strategy execution, allow rivals to take advantage, and increase the risk of collisions or, at times, even disqualification, which could ultimately impact the race results.
Glock’s take on Ferrari drivers’ wheel-to-wheel battles
During a conversation with Sky Deutschland, Glock shared his opinion on the wheel-to-wheel battle between Leclerc and Hamilton, asking the team to intervene and “draw a line” before things get out of hand. He said, “If the two get in each other’s way and lose battery power, and the team ends up losing positions because of that, then the team management has to intervene. Ferrari really needs to take a clear stand, because this was already on the edge.”
While he believes that a duel is okay within the teams, the contact should never be the “intention” as it could prove to be disadvantageous. He believes that Hamilton is trying his best to improve his position. However, he thinks that if the wheel-to-wheel continues in the upcoming races, both drivers could find themselves in the gravel, following a potential collision.
“Leclerc is still just a bit more consistently fast, but Hamilton is clearly back at the level where we all want to see him. He has confidence and fun in racing, even if the Brit wasn’t as competitive in Japan as he was in China,” he explained, referring to where both the drivers stand in terms of pace, consistency, and speed.
Ferrari boys enjoyed their intense China GP battle
Ferrari boys are taking the wheel-to-wheel battle positively, not potentially thinking about any dangerous consequences, but rather just enjoying the competitive spirit and adrenaline rushes of the overtakes. Following the China GP, Leclerc revealed that he really enjoyed the race, despite losing out on the podium to his teammate, Hamilton.
He said, “We enjoyed it [the wheel-to-wheel battle]. I did, I couldn’t speak with Lewis yet because he was on the podium, but it was a nice battle and there was this overtake mode battle for whoever was behind. There was many things going on which was quite cool.”
Hamilton echoed similar sentiments, noting that even he had fun, and it was one of the most enjoyable races he had had in a long time. He quickly appreciated their fierce tussle on track, crediting the new cars under modern regs for good racing. “The fact that the cars are the way they are this year meant that the battle with Charles at the end was awesome. Great wheel-to-wheel battle,” he added.
