– Ferrari has won two of the last three Grands Prix, putting pressure on Mercedes. But to seriously intervene in the World Championship title fight, the Italian Formula 1 traditional team now has to make a decisive decision, says former IndyCar driver James Hinchliffe.
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He said in the Formula 1 podcast F1 Nation: “I basically don’t like this philosophy, but if Ferrari wants to have any chance at the title at all, it has to commit to one driver. Given the points gap between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, that would have to be Lewis at the moment.”
Hinchliffe is referring with these statements to the current situation in the Formula 1 driver standings: Hamilton is in third place with 147 points ahead of Leclerc, who is fourth with 108 points. This means: Leclerc is still further behind Hamilton in points than Hamilton is behind World Championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
Therefore, Hinchliffe believes it would be the “best chance” for Ferrari to focus on one driver. “Ferrari is known to have no problem with that. In the past, they have practiced this often enough,” Hinchliffe explained.
Famous team orders cases from Ferrari’s past
Prominent examples: Rubens Barrichello had to repeatedly let Michael Schumacher pass at the Austrian Grand Prix. The radio message from Ferrari team boss Jean Todt (“Let Michael pass for the championship”) has enjoyed cult status since 2001. Also famous is the radio message from race engineer Rob Smedley to Felipe Massa at the 2010 German Grand Prix in favor of Fernando Alonso (“Fernando is faster than you”). (Photo series: The most controversial team orders in Formula 1 history)
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Photo series: The most controversial team orders in Formula 1 history
These examples show: a team order does not always work out. Although Schumacher became world champion after the Austria situations, Alonso did not after Germany. But Hinchliffe is convinced: “A team order is the best option for Ferrari, even if the title chance remains a long shot.”
Example 2025: One Red Bull against two McLarens
However, 2025 showed that even an underdog can fight for the title until the end, said Hinchliffe: “Max Verstappen against McLaren. [Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri] took points away from each other. That helped Max. However, he had no teammate who could additionally interfere and also take points away from both.”
Hinchliffe does not say it explicitly but means Yuki Tsunoda. The then Red Bull driver scored a total of 33 points in 2025 and finished 17th in the driver standings, while his teammate Verstappen narrowly missed winning the World Championship with 421 points.
At Ferrari, the situation in 2026 is completely different: Hamilton and Leclerc have each already won a Grand Prix this year and regularly fight for podium places. According to Hinchliffe, both are driving at a “very high level.” Therefore, Ferrari must act tactically from now on.
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