Lewis Hamilton banned from Charles Leclerc 'friendship' as Ferrari star shuts down rumours

The arrival of a seven-time world champion to any Formula 1 team is bound to stir the pot. And that's exactly what's happened at Ferrari since Lewis Hamilton joined forces with Charles Leclerc.

However, team principal Frederic Vasseur isn't too fussed about his drivers becoming fast friends, either. In fact, it appears the Frenchman would prefer to see a bit of venom between his two drivers.

And the time may be coming where the relationship between Hamilton and Leclerc is tested amid suggestions Ferrari will model their 2026 car around the former. Not that Ferrari's chief will be losing any sleep over the prospect of more tensions.

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"They are getting along very well, super focused and motivated, with great mutual understanding," Vasseur previously shared with Belgian outlet RTBF (via the Daily Express). "But there has to be competition.

"I don't want them to be best friends. Nor enemies, but above all, they must be rivals. It must stay that way; they should always push to outperform each other and be driven by that. In any case, their mindset is healthy and positive."

Leclerc has been the face of Ferrari since 2020 but might find himself in a bit of a tussle amid suggestions Hamilton, 40, will soon take more precedence. It's the sort of move that could ruffle feathers, but Vasseur, who is the subject of rumours about his own future at Ferrari, seems quite content with some edge between comrades.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton has shown nothing but warmth and respect towards his team-mate since joining Ferrari. The British driver has been full of praise for Leclerc's quality and work ethic, airing his admiration of the Monegasque early on.

"Charles is massively talented," said Hamilton said during testing at the Bahrain International Circuit earlier this year. "Getting to see him work opposite the table and watching him in the garage, it's been really, really great.

"Obviously he's been here for a long time, so he knows the team well, he speaks Italian, he's at home and at ease. But because we already had a friendship before, that's made it a lot easier to just get straight into working together."

Hamilton described Leclerc as "incredibly talented" and expressed his eagerness to learn from his younger team-mate. However, their camaraderie could be tested if Leclerc feels somewhat sidelined at Maranello.

Former F1 star Jacques Villeneuve suggested Hamilton's sprint win at the Chinese Grand Prix earlier this season might have sparked jealousy in Leclerc. This could escalate if Hamilton becomes the lead driver for their 2026 car, although Leclerc has so far responded maturely to the situation.

Brushing off concerns about development roles, the driver made his priorities clear at Silverstone earlier in July. And that remains the good of the team over any individual glory.

"I don't think that's the problem, and I just want the fastest car possible next year," said Leclerc when quizzed about Hamilton potentially taking the lead on the new build. "That's exactly what Lewis wants, and then wherever we are next year, I'll set up the car in a way that I like, and Lewis will do just the same."