Lewis Hamilton has denied asking Ferrari to replace staff after his Spanish Grand Prix retirement, with the team's focus now shifting to Baku.
Lewis Hamilton has denied a report that he asked Ferrari to replace team personnel, shutting down another burst of speculation following his retirement from the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, September 13.
Hamilton is enduring a difficult run. He left Madrid without points after a brake problem ended his race, while Kimi Antonelli claimed his eighth victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season and increased his championship lead.
Hamilton remains third in the drivers' standings with 191 points, although he sits 101 behind Antonelli after 14 Grands Prix. Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc is fifth with 167.
Hamilton rejects Ferrari staff claim
Hamilton directly dismissed suggestions that he had pushed for personnel changes at Ferrari. No staffing overhaul tied to a request from the seven-time world champion has been confirmed.
The claim surfaced four days after Hamilton retired from the Spanish Grand Prix. He had scored points in each of the first 13 rounds before the brake failure in Madrid ended that streak.
His Ferrari campaign has still delivered a significant result. Hamilton won the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on June 14, completing the 66-lap race in 1:32:28.105. Leclerc secured Ferrari's other victory at the British Grand Prix on July 5.
Those results have taken Ferrari to 358 points and second place in the constructors' championship. Mercedes leads on 503, with McLaren third on 306.
Ferrari's title gap grows
Antonelli's results have reshaped the championship standings.
The Mercedes driver leads with 292 points, 81 clear of teammate George Russell and 101 ahead of Hamilton. Lando Norris is next behind Hamilton on 186, followed by Leclerc on 167. Max Verstappen has 145, while Oscar Piastri holds 120.
Hamilton has also declared his 2026 title challenge over, saying there is “no stopping Antonelli.” Hamilton retired in Spain as Antonelli completed 57 laps beating Verstappen by 4.3 seconds. Norris took third, 5 seconds behind the winner.
Ferrari trails Mercedes by 145 points in the constructors' standings. Nine scheduled rounds remain for the team to close that gap, starting in Azerbaijan.
Antonelli keeps winning
Antonelli has won eight of the opening 14 Grands Prix, beginning with China on March 15. Victories in Japan, Miami, Canada and Monaco followed before he won again in Belgium.
Only four other drivers have won a Grand Prix this season. Russell claimed Australia and Austria, Norris triumphed in Hungary and the Netherlands, while Hamilton and Leclerc split Ferrari's two victories.
That sequence has left Ferrari pursuing a Mercedes team with its drivers first and second in the championship.
Azerbaijan starts the next phase
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is set for September 24 through 26 as Round 15. Ferrari heads to Baku with Hamilton defending his position inside the team, while the championship leader arrives with his biggest points advantage of the season.
The schedule moves on quickly. The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia follows on October 2 through 4, then Singapore stages Round 17 from October 9 through 11. Ferrari has already unveiled a special black race suit for Leclerc to wear at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Another six rounds are scheduled after Singapore. The United States Grand Prix takes place from October 23 through 25, followed by Mexico City from October 30 through November 1 and São Paulo from November 6 through 8.
Ferrari's immediate task is Baku
Hamilton's denial clears one allegation from Ferrari's agenda, yet the competitive figures are unchanged. He trails Russell by 20 points and leads Norris by five, while Ferrari must make up 145 points on Mercedes.
The contest between Ferrari's drivers is also close. Hamilton holds a 24-point advantage over Leclerc, and both have contributed one of the team's two victories in 2026.
Practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix starts on Thursday, September 24, followed by qualifying on Friday and the race on Saturday, September 26.
