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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Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain gets a pit service during the first free practice ahead of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix, in Madrid, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain gets pushed back into his garage during the qualifying session for the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix in Madrid, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (Violeta Santos Moura/Pool Photo via AP)
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain is pictured in the paddock ahead the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix, in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
HOMESH, West Bank (AP) — Israeli settlers, some carrying rifles, sang, danced and carried Torah scrolls as they inaugurated a synagogue at the newly revived settlement of Homesh.
For those attending the event Wednesday, it was a celebration. For Palestinians living nearby, the return of settlers to the site carried a very different meaning.
Homesh lies deep in the northern occupied West Bank, near the Palestinian village of Burqa. Israel dismantled the settlement in 2005 but formally approved its reestablishment last year, allowing settlers to live there and connect to Israel’s water and electricity networks.
Palestinian residents of Burqa say the settlement restricts access to privately owned farmland around the site. Israel’s Supreme Court has acknowledged that land at the original settlement belonged to Palestinians from the village.
Homesh is part of a broader expansion of Israeli settlements and outposts that has further restricted Palestinian movement and access to land. The expansion has also coincided with a sharp rise in settler attacks against Palestinians and their property. Rights groups say such violence is rarely prosecuted.
Most of the international community considers all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank illegal under international law. Israel disputes this, citing security concerns and historical and religious ties to the territory.
For the settlers, the synagogue represents a return. For Palestinians living nearby, it represents the continuing loss of land, free movement and the dwindling hopes of one day governing themselves.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Israeli settlers gather to celebrate the inauguration of a newly built synagogue at the occupied West Bank outpost of Homesh, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israeli settlers gather to celebrate the inauguration of a newly built synagogue at the occupied West Bank outpost of Homesh, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israeli settlers gather to celebrate the inauguration of a newly built synagogue at the occupied West Bank outpost of Homesh, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israeli settlers celebrate the inauguration of a newly built synagogue at the occupied West Bank outpost of Homesh, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israeli settlers gather to celebrate the inauguration of a newly built synagogue at the occupied West Bank outpost of Homesh, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israeli settlers gather to celebrate the inauguration of a newly built synagogue at the occupied West Bank outpost of Homesh, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israeli settlers gather to celebrate the inauguration of a newly built synagogue at the occupied West Bank outpost of Homesh, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
A young Israeli settler carries a toy gun during the inauguration of a newly built synagogue at the West Bank outpost of Homesh, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israeli settlers gather to celebrate the inauguration of a newly built synagogue at the occupied West Bank outpost of Homesh, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israeli settlers celebrate the inauguration of a newly built synagogue at the occupied West Bank illegal outpost of Homesh, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israeli settlers celebrate the inauguration of a newly built synagogue at the occupied West Bank outpost of Homesh, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israeli settlers celebrate the inauguration of a newly built synagogue at the occupied West Bank ilegal outpost of Homesh, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israeli settlers celebrate the inauguration of a newly built synagogue at the occupied West Bank outpost of Homesh, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
