Lewis Hamilton denies he's sought to replace any staff at Ferrari as his F1 title bid fades

MARANELLO, Italy (AP) — Lewis Hamilton said Thursday he has “never asked” for any of Ferrari's staff to be replaced and praised their dedication after some tense radio exchanges over team strategy in recent Formula 1 races.

Hamilton's denial follows a report Tuesday in Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera which said Hamilton had asked for changes to Ferrari's trackside staff and that his relationship with team principal Fred Vasseur was strained.

“I've seen some of the stories that have gone out and I want to clear it up here. I've never asked for anyone on my team to be replaced. Everyone I work with works hard every day, and their dedication is what moves us forward,” Hamilton wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of himself with dozens of Ferrari staff members.

“I always try to empower and lift people to be the best versions of themselves or at least see the best in themselves. I may not always achieve that but it's my intention and what I'm here to do. We all work together and that will continue.”

Hamilton has sometimes questioned Ferrari's strategy over the radio this year, including asking whether he was being used as a “guinea pig” in last month's Dutch Grand Prix, and protesting that teammate Charles Leclerc was allowed to hold him up.

After that race, he said the messages came from a desire to win and added it was “difficult” to see rival team Mercedes “execute straight away” on strategy decisions.

The seven-time champion got his first win with Ferrari at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in June and remains third in the standings, but a retirement in last week's Spanish Grand Prix left him 101 points off standings leader Kimi Antonelli. That also marked five consecutive races without a podium finish for Hamilton.

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