James Hinchcliffe warns Fred Vasseur faces "tremendous" pressure over Ferrari team orders

James Hinchcliffe believes Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is under mounting pressure to establish clear rules of engagement

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is facing a "tremendous amount" of pressure to establish clear rules of engagement between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, according to former IndyCar Series driver and F1 TV pundit James Hinchcliffe.

The calls for clear team orders come after a couple of difficult races for the Maranello outfit. While Hamilton and Leclerc finished fourth and fifth at the Dutch Grand Prix, the seven-time champion fumed over the team radio throughout the race about a lack of team orders, and the issue came up again at the Italian Grand Prix when both drivers clashed on the opening lap.

Speaking on F1 TV's Weekend Warm-Up show, Hinchcliffe was asked about the pressure on the Ferrari team chief as calls for clear team orders have intensified.

"A tremendous amount at this point just because it has got to this stage," Hinchcliffe explained. "We're round 14 of their second year working together and we're still having these sorts of questions. What are the rules of engagement? There are very clear rules at McLaren and there are very clear rules at Mercedes.

"Whether it's always been missing from Ferrari or just recently hasn't been something they've looked into, it's clearly something that they have to have a discussion about in the near future."

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images

During an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, Vasseur admitted that there were discussions to be had with Hamilton and Leclerc following the Italian Grand Prix, but dismissed claims that there is an internal crisis at the team.

The Frenchman also explained that there are rules of engagement in place, but added that "you can’t expect contracts to cover every possible scenario you might encounter on track, because inevitably everything would become a matter of interpretation."

The focus now shifts to the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring circuit, which will take place on Sunday 13 September.