While Charles Leclerc sympathized with Lewis Hamilton’s difficulties during his debut Formula 1 season with Ferrari, the driver from Monaco stated he had minimal capacity in 2025 to aid the seven-time world champion in adjusting to the squad.
Hamilton’s challenges throughout the year were widely reported, especially considering the extensive attention his transfer had generated. After a decade with Mercedes, Hamilton faced the task of familiarizing himself with Ferrari’s operational procedures and a new engineering crew.
Despite an encouraging start to the season, highlighted by his sprint race victory in China, most of Hamilton’s performances across the 24 Grands Prix saw him finish between fourth and eighth, even though he experienced three Q1 eliminations. A podium finish remained elusive for Hamilton, placing him at risk of dropping below sixth in the championship standings to his Mercedes successor, Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Social media commentary cast Hamilton’s initial year with Ferrari in a more critical light, implying a lack of strong rapport with race engineer Riccardo Adami; however, Ferrari has consistently asserted that Hamilton’s working relationship with the team is considerably more robust than it appears.
Leclerc indicated that his responsibilities to deliver strong performances and pursue results made it challenging for him to dedicate time to assist Hamilton. Nonetheless, he acknowledged that Hamilton would require additional time to acclimate, observing that his own extensive period with Ferrari has fostered a “spontaneous” and cooperative dynamic with the Italian team.
“My duty is clearly to optimize everything within my influence,” Leclerc started.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photo by: Mark Thompson / Getty Images
“And there are already numerous aspects I concentrate on for myself and the team, aiming to ensure my driving style aligns optimally with the car.
“It is understandably challenging for me to then also allocate time [to assist Hamilton]. Moreover, Lewis has achieved significantly more than I ever have. I genuinely don’t possess any guidance to offer him.
“It is certainly an extensive journey whenever one joins a new team. Frankly, I scarcely recall what it’s like to integrate into a new squad. I’ve been with Ferrari for eight [sic] years.
“So I am familiar with the procedures. And naturally, everything feels quite instinctive. But for Lewis, it still holds a sense of novelty, even after a year.
“The operational methods are entirely distinct, the perspective you have, the team, your work approach. Therefore, all these elements still require some period of adjustment.”
Regarding the team’s overall fortunes, Leclerc felt that Ferrari “performed admirably” in extracting results from its SF-25, and that the fundamental limiting factor was the car’s general performance.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Ferrari opted not to advance the core design principles of its SF-24 for the 2025 season, instead developing a new car featuring an entirely new suspension system. However, development concluded in April, limiting their understanding of this fresh design.
“I believed we did well in maximizing our vehicle throughout the year like that. Nevertheless, the car’s intrinsic capabilities are simply insufficient,” Leclerc further commented.
“So that is our deficiency. I think Mercedes, our nearest competitor this year, experienced significant high points but also more pronounced low points.
“From our perspective, we likely showed greater consistency, but sadly, it was consistently off the leading pace and never matching the speed of those ahead. But that speaks to the overall performance.”
