Massa urges Ferrari to leave drivers alone

Felipe Massa believes Ferrari should stop trying to control Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, amid the ongoing fallout from their controversial clash in Mexico.

The former Ferrari driver told La Gazzetta dello Sport that tensions between teammates are inevitable when both are fighting for victories.

"When the drivers are on the track, they try to give their all and keep everyone else behind them, including their teammates," he said.

"Leclerc is very fast in qualifying, Hamilton is more consistent in the race, but the truth is that in a situation like this year’s, you can’t stop them."

Massa said team orders only make sense when a championship is at stake.

"When I was racing for Ferrari, it was simple - Kimi and I would race to Spa, free to do so, and then whoever was ahead at that point in the season had priority over the other," the Brazilian, at Interlagos this weekend, revealed.

Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur, however, has taken a tougher line after Thursday’s hour-long summit with his drivers.

"They both admitted they went too far," he told Belgian broadcaster RTBF.

"The result wasn’t acceptable, and neither were the comments. But we have to move on.

"We’re all grown men, even if I’m a bit older! It’s up to us to start fresh with a positive momentum."

There have also been reports in Italy that senior Ferrari management is particularly unhappy with Hamilton’s increasingly outspoken behaviour.

The seven time world champion, however, insists Vasseur did not impose demands during the meeting.

"Fred didn’t clear up the situation between me and Charles," Hamilton said.

"We sat down and talked things through, put the tension aside and we’re moving on."

He insisted the relationship remains respectful.

"There were no demands from either side, we just both explained our positions and the areas where we could perform better and support each other."

Leclerc also wants the controversy to end.

"We talked, we both said what we thought. It calmed things down a lot," he told Canal Plus.

"I’m not going to go into detail to reignite a story that has already gone on far too long."

The Monegasque, who became a father for the first time between Mexico and Brazil, insisted his relationship with Hamilton remains intact.

"Obviously there is tension, of course we want to finish ahead of the other and sometimes we won’t do everything right," he said.

"But I consider that chapter closed now, and the important thing is to look forward."