15 MINUTES AGO: LEWIS HAMILTON BLASTS CHARLES LECLERC BEFORE FERRARI STAR C…..see more in the comment

15 MINUTES AGO: LEWIS HAMILTON BLASTS CHARLES LECLERC BEFORE FERRARI STAR C…..see more in the comment

    Drama erupted on the opening lap of the Italian Grand Prix as Ferrari teammates Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc came together at the first chicane. Starting fourth and third respectively, Hamilton tried to force his way past Leclerc on the inside, but the Monegasque understeered wide on exit and squeezed the seven-time champion onto the run-off. Hamilton was forced into the gravel and tumbled down to 11th. “Charles pushed me off,” Hamilton complained over team radio, with the incident immediately noted by stewards. The contact set the tone for a chaotic afternoon at Monza in front of a record home crowd.

  The Ferrari nightmare got worse just laps later. On lap 2, Leclerc was defending from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri when he suffered wheelspin exiting Parabolica, touched the white line and speared straight into the tyre barrier. The Monegasque climbed out unhurt but visibly shaken, and the race was red-flagged so marshals could repair the wall. Leclerc had qualified fourth and looked set for a strong result at Ferrari’s home race, but instead became the first retirement. The crash promoted Mercedes’ George Russell to the lead ahead of the restart, with Verstappen and Colapinto behind.

  Hamilton’s frustration didn’t stop at the radio. Earlier in the weekend he had already questioned Ferrari’s execution, saying qualifying was “very tough” and that the team “didn’t execute that well” after both drivers only managed P4 and P5. Post-race, with Leclerc out and Hamilton fighting back through the field, sources say Hamilton made a “team work” plea, arguing that with a 59-point gap to championship leader Kimi Antonelli, Ferrari needed to prioritize the title fight. “We do have to work as a team. There’s light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s getting dimmer the further we get through,” he said after qualifying. The lap 1 clash and Leclerc’s crash only heightened questions about whether the two Ferrari stars can race each other hard without costing the team crucial points.