The 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola was already shaping up to be one of the most dramatic races of the season. But what has come out in the days following the race has sent shockwaves through the paddock — and it’s not about the podium finishers. A leaked radio conversation between Ferrari engineers and their drivers has ignited fury from both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, leaving fans stunned and the sport buzzing with speculation.

The Leak That Shook the Paddock

Shortly after the race weekend ended, an anonymous source leaked an internal Ferrari radio exchange during the closing stages of the race. The audio, which was quickly shared across social media platforms and dissected by F1 experts, revealed strategic confusion, contradictory orders, and an astonishing moment when a Ferrari engineer suggested letting a rival Mercedes pass — an instruction that stunned both drivers and commentators alike.

According to the transcript, during a critical moment of the race, Ferrari’s pit wall told Leclerc:

“We’re evaluating whether to let Hamilton through, it may protect the tires for the final laps.”

Leclerc’s immediate response:

“Are you serious? We’re racing for position. Why would I do that?”

The exchange was quickly followed by a moment of radio silence, before Leclerc shouted,

“No. Let me race. This is ridiculous!”

The controversy doesn’t end there. The same audio includes confusion over tire choices, with the Ferrari team appearing divided between mediums and hards — an argument reportedly happening live during the race. Ultimately, the delay in decision-making left Leclerc vulnerable to an overtake by Hamilton, who cruised past and secured P3, pushing Leclerc further down the order.

Hamilton Joins the Firestorm

After learning about the leaked radio, Lewis Hamilton — who was unaware of Ferrari’s internal strategy talk during the race — expressed disbelief.

“If that’s true, it’s pretty wild,” Hamilton told reporters after the leak made headlines. “No driver wants to be handed a position like that. You want to fight for it. I respect Charles — he defended hard. But if his team wasn’t fully behind him, that’s not fair.”

Hamilton added:

“Ferrari has always been a powerhouse, but things like this… they damage the sport, and they damage their own legacy.”

This marks the second time in recent months that Hamilton has taken subtle jabs at Ferrari’s operational inconsistency, but this time, it was personal — and public.

Leclerc: “I Won’t Be a Pawn”

Leclerc, already frustrated by Ferrari’s lack of competitiveness this season, was even more vocal after the leak.

“This goes against every principle of racing,” he said. “To even suggest giving up a position that I fought for, especially against a seven-time world champion like Lewis, is unthinkable. I am here to race. I am not here to play political games or execute some flawed strategy.”

The Monegasque driver also hinted that trust with the team is wearing thin:

“I’ve been patient, I’ve been loyal. But if the team can’t give me 100%, it’s hard to give 100% back.”

Internal Turmoil at Ferrari

Sources close to the Maranello-based team confirm growing divisions between the race strategy department and the technical team. There are whispers that Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur is under increasing pressure from both fans and Ferrari’s upper management.

Ferrari has not issued a full statement, but an unnamed senior engineer admitted to Italian media:

“Things got messy in the heat of the moment. There was never a plan to ‘let’ Hamilton through — just miscommunication under pressure.”

But for many, the damage is already done. Fans have flooded social media with the hashtag #FerrariCollapse, and Italian newspapers like La Gazzetta dello Sport have called the incident “an embarrassment for the red team.”

The Bigger Picture: A Team In Crisis?

Ferrari’s last world championship came in 2008, and while recent years showed glimpses of hope, the 2025 season has seen more chaos than progress. With Red Bull and McLaren consistently ahead, and even Mercedes finding form again, Ferrari appears stuck in limbo — fast, but flawed.

This radio controversy may be a turning point. For a team with a legacy as storied as Ferrari’s, public dissent from a lead driver and criticism from rivals is a clear sign of deeper problems.

Will Leclerc stay loyal beyond 2026? Will Hamilton continue to expose cracks in Ferrari’s armor? And can Vasseur salvage unity in a team that now seems fractured from within?

One thing is clear: Ferrari’s biggest battle may not be with Red Bull or McLaren — it may be with itself.