Hamilton-Ferrari dynamic risks team implosion - Ralf Schumacher

Ralf Schumacher has warned Ferrari risks tearing itself apart unless Lewis Hamilton stamps his authority on the team.

The seven-time world champion endured another rocky weekend in Baku, slammed for failing to give back eighth place to Charles Leclerc on the final lap, and openly furious about Ferrari’s tyre call that he argues left him out in Q2, but Schumacher told Sky Deutschland’s Backstage Boxengasse podcast that Hamilton should look in the mirror.

"He has to take the blame himself, with his experience and his power," said the former Williams driver. "I wasn’t a seven-time world champion, I only won a few races, but if I wanted a certain tyre, I got it. There were no discussions at all.

"Ultimately, the driver knows best what the conditions are like out there. A normal engineer would never interfere with that."

He believes Hamilton grew used to being micromanaged at Mercedes. "That would fit the image that was often a theme with Toto Wolff - ‘Drivers are there to drive. We don’t involve them in decisions at all, we just tell them what to do,'" he said.

Schumacher also urged Hamilton to toughen up:  "Lewis has to assert himself and not look for the mistake elsewhere. Then qualifying will look different, that’s what you’d expect from a seven-time world champion."

He also doubts the chemistry with race engineer Riccardo Adami, who in the past was paired with other high-profile Ferrari drivers. "The way they treat each other isn’t good," said Schumacher."

"Then there’s Lewis’s criticism of the team. I’m sceptical of the combination, and then this failure to swap back with Leclerc before the finish line. Ferrari has to sort it internally, otherwise it’ll tear itself apart from within."

The German says Frederic Vasseur must not shy away from confrontation. "A thunderstorm clears the air," he said. "They need to talk openly, set limits and expectations. If Lewis no longer trusts the team, and vice versa, then it’s better to separate at the end of the year."

Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport echoed the bleak mood, noting that Hamilton and Leclerc - the most expensive driver pairing on the grid with a combined salary of €70m - remain powerless without a competitive car, but team boss Vasseur remained defiant.

"I’m not worried about next year," he said. "I’m convinced we have a team that can win, but we need to improve in every aspect and maintain this approach."