Revealed: Charles Leclerc’s blunt radio message in response to Lewis Hamilton decision

Late in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, a safety-car shuffle left Charles Leclerc staring at rubber that was “f**ked,” his word for 11-lap-old mediums that still needed 17 tours of the demanding circuit.



Engineer Bryan Bozzi suggested staying out, warning the new softs might fade.



Team-mate Lewis Hamilton, running behind, was eyeing the pits.



Raw exchange lifts the lid on Ferrari communications



While Hamilton pressed Riccardo Adami—“This tyre is good but there’s a long way to go still… How many places am I going to fall back?”—Bozzi tried to keep Leclerc aligned with the Briton’s plan.



“So Hamilton doesn’t want to box, just to let you know,” the engineer relayed.



Leclerc’s instant response: “I don’t care! I don’t care. We are speaking about ourselves.”



Decision swings as Hamilton ducks in



Bozzi relented—“Box Charles box, open up. Let me know plan for soft.”—but the moment had passed.



Seeing Hamilton dive for fresh tyres, Leclerc roared by the pit entry.



“Why? I haven’t pitted, Lewis has pitted. I’m not going to wait behind and lose more positions anyway.”



With the window shut, Ferrari instructed him to stay out, trapping the Monegasque on fading mediums while Hamilton attacked on hards.



Outcome highlights contrasting fortunes



Hamilton charged to fourth; Leclerc clung to sixth, ruing both tyre wear and timing.



The episode underlines an SF-25 that still swings between race-day punch and qualifying pain—and a garage still learning how its new driver pair communicate under stress.



Bigger questions for Monaco and beyond



Imola’s radio drama follows Miami tension and Hamilton’s Bahrain apology, adding another layer to Ferrari’s evolving intra-team narrative.



Engineers admit clearer cross-car protocols may be required if both drivers are to maximise divergent set-ups and tyre life.



Yet the overriding takeaway is Leclerc’s sharpened instinct to prioritise his own race—even when that means brushing aside news of Hamilton’s plans.



At circuits where track position trumps tyre offset, such decisiveness could prove an asset.



But if strategy hinges on synchronised calls, Ferrari know they must fine-tune the dialogue before the Monaco hairpin forces another split-second choice.
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