Lewis Hamilton speaks out as speculation over Ferrari is fuelled by the Italian press and social media.

While Charles Lewis crashed out of Sunday's Italian Grand Prix, other than the team's disappointing result, attention has focussed on what happened at the first chicane.

In a rare move, Hamilton's former teammate, Nico Rosberg, leapt to the Briton's defence blaming Leclerc for the incident.

However, whatever the rights and wrongs, the infamous Italian media has now got in on the act, which is, in turn, fuelling social media speculation, with all manner of theories being suggested.

Despite having signed a new contract, it is claimed that Fred Vasseur could be dropped for not getting on top of a situation, which, it is claimed has been simmering away for some time.

While Christian Horner is being touted as his replacement, along with Ferrari's WEC boss, Antonello Coletta, there is also talk of Hamilton himself seeking to control the team. Indeed, there is talk of a growing rift in Maranello, with Hamilton and John Ellkann on one side and Vasseur, his loyalists, and Leclerc on the other.

Seemingly ignoring the noise, Hamilton is only interested in the reaction to that first corner, insisting that he did nothing wrong.

"I don't race dirty," said the Briton. "I've always raced clean and fairly, and always left space, so I don't think they should be worried about me.

"I've come into the team and tried to be respectful of space and definitely not put the team in jeopardy, and I stand by that," he added. "That's all I can talk about on my side.

"You have to speak to Fred about the other side and decisions that we could have taken, but I'll keep pushing and trying to get more from the team and from our car and from the engineers in design and everything like that."

Not for the first time, Hamilton also queried the team's strategy, especially the discussion not to pit him, like Antonelli and Verstappen, under the VSC.

"Obviously, it put us way back in positions," he said of the first corner clash. "I then tried to reset, and I was in the fight, doing good. The grip felt good, and the car generally felt decent through the corners.

"But on the straight, they were just pulling. We knew they were fast on the straight, but it was really mind-blowing just how quick they were on the straight, the Mercedes power. That thing just keeps pulling, pulling, pulling."