Heidfeld: Number 1 rivalry brings chaos to Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton says he sympathises with Ferrari 'number 2' Charles Leclerc.
The five time world champion says the situation reminds him of his own F1 debut in 2007, when his teammate was then reigning champion Fernando Alonso.
"There are scenarios where multiple world champions demand the number 1 position, and therefore you become a number 2," said Hamilton.
He is referring also to the controversy after China, where Leclerc was ordered aside for his number 1 teammate Sebastian Vettel.
"I understand how Charles feels. It's like having your light dimmed," said Hamilton.
For now, Leclerc is keeping the controversy as quiet as possible, saying in Baku: "Whatever the team tells me, I will do it. To a certain point.
"I just have to show the team on the track that it makes no sense to put me behind."
But arguably a bigger problem for Ferrari ahead of the fourth race in Baku is that neither Vettel nor Leclerc are yet to win a race.
Vettel said of the team orders controversy: "It's a hype more on the outside, and important for us that it does not come inside.
"At the moment I have the feeling that it has not happened yet."
Ferrari has brought multiple upgrades to Azerbaijan, with Vettel saying: "It's a good step on paper."
Former F1 driver Nick Heidfeld, though, thinks the Leclerc issue will be on Vettel's mind.
"Leclerc is entitled to claim number 1 status, but he does not have it yet," he told Sky Deutschland.
"Of course it brings unrest to the team, which is one more thing Vettel has to worry about it," said Heidfeld.
"With Vettel's experience, it is understandable that Ferrari relies on him as number 1. Whether it's right at the end of the year, we will find out."
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Good to sports is Leclerc fight for vitories, is very talented and not receiving orders to keep aside vettell´s who i think will never be champion again and if Ferrari doesn't understand i feel sorry for the team. Is the same saying they don't want win. The tatics in Chna was very prejudicial to Leclerc the stoping time to change the tyres. Please let him fly on the pitch and sooner they will see Leclerc Win. To next year i hope they can change Vettel for Schumacher Jr
If Leclerc 's contract had him till 2020, Ferrari should have kept Kimi for at least 1 more year with it written somewhere that he will get the next seat at Ferrari once it opens if they were going to keep to the 1-2. Unless Vettel can prove the pace it is only hurting Ferrari as a whole to assign these kinds of team orders. Leclerc is handling it well for now. His philosophy of simply being faster on track and make future "orders" a no brainer is the best, most politically correct, least controversial strategy he can do. However that will get old if he continues to show better pace.
Who cares? Silver arrows are going to stay on top. Ferrari drivers should be joined to work for their marque but seems that Leclerc thinks he should jump from Sauber to World Champ in one instantaneous move to Ferrari..such a huge ego! Poison for that marque for sure. Let's see what all the bleeding hearts say when he can't come up with the goods under pressure.
"Who cares?"
You do, obviously. Why else would you bother to post?
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