Damon Hill urges Ferrari to make Hamilton its clear number one

Damon Hill has urged Ferrari to settle the renewed debate over Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc by making Hamilton the team’s clear number one. The 1996 world champion said an explicit choice would end the argument.

The debate flared after the Mexico City Grand Prix. Hamilton started from pole and had to fight to keep Leclerc behind on the opening lap. Both ran off at Turn 4; Leclerc took the lead by cutting across the circuit and later received a five-second penalty for the move. Max Verstappen seized the lead in the pit-stop window, leaving Hamilton third.

After the race, Hamilton said he wanted Ferrari to put rules in place to prevent similar clashes, with recent incidents at Monza and Zandvoort also in view. In a post on X, Hill said he had made his proposal in Sunday’s commentary in Mexico. He argued that Hamilton would deliver for Ferrari if the team backed him fully.