Ferrari Urged to Give Charles Leclerc Space as Lewis Hamilton Gains the Upper Hand

Former Formula 1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer has advised Ferrari against putting additional pressure on Charles Leclerc as the Monegasque driver attempts to close the growing gap to teammate Lewis Hamilton. Rather than holding a formal meeting to discuss Leclerc’s recent performances, Szafnauer believes Ferrari should simply provide encouragement and allow the driver to regain his confidence.

Leclerc entered the 2026 season with considerable expectations after getting the better of Hamilton during their first year as Ferrari teammates. However, the balance within the team has shifted during the current campaign, with Hamilton increasingly establishing himself as the stronger of the two Ferrari drivers.

The two began the season relatively evenly matched. During the opening races, Leclerc and Hamilton were frequently involved in close battles as both attempted to challenge the Mercedes drivers for podium positions. Leclerc initially appeared to have the advantage, winning two of their first three direct encounters.

As the season progressed, however, Hamilton began to build momentum. The difference between the Ferrari teammates became increasingly noticeable, particularly around the time Hamilton secured Ferrari’s first Grand Prix victory of the season in Barcelona.

Hamilton’s victory was made even more significant by Leclerc’s difficult weekend. The Monegasque driver crashed during qualifying and subsequently struggled to recover during the race. His efforts to salvage championship points were ultimately unsuccessful after a hydraulic problem forced him out of contention.

Despite that setback, Leclerc demonstrated his ability to respond. He bounced back strongly at the British Grand Prix, where he claimed victory while Hamilton finished on the podium alongside him. The result marked the beginning of a positive run for Leclerc, who subsequently finished ahead of his highly decorated teammate in three consecutive races.

That recent improvement has helped Leclerc reduce the gap to Hamilton in the internal Ferrari standings. Nevertheless, Hamilton remains in a considerably stronger position in the championship. The seven-time world champion is currently second in the Drivers’ Championship, while Leclerc occupies fourth position.

Leclerc’s deficit to Hamilton has been reduced to 31 points, but the bigger picture remains challenging. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli is 81 points ahead of Leclerc, meaning the Ferrari driver still has considerable ground to make up if he hopes to become a genuine title contender.

Those circumstances have prompted questions about whether Ferrari should intervene and have a serious discussion with Leclerc about his performances. Szafnauer, however, believes such a conversation would be unnecessary and could even be counterproductive.

Speaking on the High Performance Racing podcast, the former Alpine and Racing Point boss argued that Ferrari should resist the temptation to overanalyze Leclerc’s situation.

His recommendation was straightforward: give the driver space while continuing to support him.

Szafnauer suggested that Hamilton appeared to have a clearer advantage over Leclerc earlier in the season, although he stressed that his assessment was based on his personal impression rather than specific information from inside the team. In his view, that advantage has diminished during the most recent races.

According to Szafnauer, Leclerc appears to have raised his performance level and moved closer to Hamilton. That progress suggests the Ferrari driver may already be finding solutions without needing an intervention from senior management.

The former team boss therefore believes Ferrari’s best approach is patience. Instead of organizing a formal meeting that could make Leclerc feel he is under scrutiny, the team should concentrate on creating an environment in which he can continue rebuilding his form.

Former Ferrari strategist Rob Smedley offered a somewhat different perspective. He suggested that Leclerc may have struggled to adapt fully to the characteristics of the new-generation Formula 1 cars.

Smedley pointed out that it is unusual to see Leclerc’s teammate enjoying such a clear advantage over him. Given Leclerc’s experience and established reputation as one of the fastest drivers on the grid, the scale of Hamilton’s advantage earlier in the season was particularly notable.

One possible explanation, according to Smedley, is that Leclerc simply did not feel comfortable with the new Ferrari. The introduction of radically different cars can force even experienced drivers to adjust their techniques, particularly in areas such as braking, corner entry and overall car balance.

Smedley noted that Leclerc had expressed dissatisfaction with the car and appeared somewhat uncertain about how to extract its maximum performance. For a driver with Leclerc’s level of experience, that situation was unusual.

Ferrari also made changes to Leclerc’s braking setup during this period. Following his crash at the Monaco Grand Prix, the team changed components within the braking system. At the Barcelona Grand Prix, Leclerc switched to Carbone Industries brake pads and discs.

Changes to braking hardware may appear relatively minor from the outside, but Formula 1 drivers depend heavily on their confidence in the braking system. The feel of the brakes can influence how aggressively a driver approaches corners, how late they can brake and how consistently they can control the car.

For Leclerc, finding a braking setup that gives him the necessary confidence could therefore be an important part of his return to competitive form.

His recent results suggest that the process may already be working. Winning the British Grand Prix and finishing ahead of Hamilton in a run of three races demonstrates that the gap between the two Ferrari drivers is not necessarily permanent.

Hamilton’s experience and remarkable record mean that he remains an extremely difficult teammate to beat. His seven world championships provide Ferrari with a driver who has demonstrated an exceptional ability to perform under pressure and maximize opportunities throughout a season.

At the same time, Leclerc has established himself as one of Formula 1’s elite talents and has spent years developing his understanding of Ferrari’s machinery. His ability to respond after difficult periods is likely to be important as the season continues.

The internal Ferrari battle could therefore remain one of the most fascinating storylines of the championship. Hamilton currently holds the advantage, but Leclerc’s recent improvement indicates that the contest is far from settled.

For Ferrari, the key may be avoiding unnecessary pressure. Rather than treating Leclerc’s earlier struggles as a crisis, the team could benefit from allowing him to work with his engineers, refine the car’s setup and rebuild his confidence naturally.

Szafnauer’s message is essentially that Ferrari should trust its driver. Leclerc has already shown signs of closing the gap to Hamilton, and his recent victories suggest that his earlier difficulties may have been temporary.

With the championship still developing, Ferrari’s management will have to balance the ambitions of two world-class drivers while ensuring that neither feels undermined. The best solution may not be a formal conversation or a warning, but consistent technical support and confidence from the team.

If Leclerc continues the upward trajectory seen in recent races, Hamilton’s current advantage could become much smaller. The battle between Ferrari’s two stars is therefore still wide open, and Leclerc has already provided evidence that he can fight back when given the opportunity.