It is a concept that is both reductive and brutally clear: in sport, one person wins and everyone else loses. In the specific case of Formula 1, every Grand Prix has one driver who triumphs and another 21 who are left watching the winner celebrate on the top step of the podium.
Of course, every race weekend develops according to its own unique dynamics. Sometimes even a tenth-place finish can carry real significance for the driver who achieves it and for the team behind that result. In Formula 1, success and failure are often measured against expectations rather than simply final positions. Nevertheless, there is one particular defeat that can hurt more than any other in the most competitive environment of motorsport: losing to your teammate.
Hamilton wins, Charles Leclerc loses out
Last Sunday, Lewis Hamilton claimed a sensational and emphatic victory. He missed pole position by the narrowest of margins, but in the race he combined racing aggression, intelligent tyre management and an excellent strategic understanding of how the Grand Prix was unfolding. It was the type of performance that belongs to a driver with enormous experience, exceptional confidence and the ability to manage every phase of a race weekend.
After all, 106 victories and seven Formula 1 world championships do not happen by chance. Those numbers are the result of decades of success, consistency and the capacity to perform under pressure in the most demanding circumstances.
The biggest loser of the Spanish Grand Prix was Charles Leclerc. Ferrari returned to victory after almost two years, and it did so with a driver who, in some respects, can still be considered the newest member of the team. Ferrari’s previous victory, moreover, had not been secured by Charles Leclerc either, but by Carlos Sainz. In short, the Monegasque driver’s wait for another Formula 1 victory has now lasted far longer than anyone within Ferrari would have hoped.
That drought has become increasingly difficult to ignore. Some of the reasons are linked to the competitiveness of the machinery available to him over the last two seasons, but some responsibility inevitably falls on Charles Leclerc himself, particularly when opportunities have emerged but have not been fully converted into results.
The Ferrari SF-26 demonstrated yesterday, for the first time this season, that it is genuinely capable of fighting for victories. In previous Grands Prix that possibility had never truly materialised in a concrete way. The car developed by the technical department led by Loïc Serra proved capable of defeating the Mercedes W17, which until that moment had established itself as the benchmark reference on the grid.
This was perhaps the most important message to emerge from Barcelona. Ferrari did not inherit the victory through unusual circumstances or strategic luck. Instead, the Italian team appeared capable of competing at the front on merit, which changes the outlook for the remainder of the season.
Charles Leclerc’s three nightmare Grands Prix
Charles Leclerc arrives at this moment after three particularly difficult and complicated race weekends. In Canada he drove poorly, very poorly, and he openly admitted that he never managed to find the correct direction with the car. Nothing seemed to work as expected, and throughout the weekend he appeared unable to establish the confidence that is normally one of his greatest strengths.
In Monaco, his home Grand Prix, he was involved in two separate incidents. The first came in qualifying and compromised his starting position on the grid. The second occurred during the race itself, where responsibility remains somewhat unclear and may have been shared between technical issues and a less-than-perfect preparation for the crucial restart following the Safety Car period.
Then came Spain. There, the 28-year-old committed a costly and significant error in qualifying, damaging what could realistically have been a front-row start or perhaps even a pole position. Considering the pace Ferrari displayed throughout the weekend, the mistake became even more expensive. In the race, Charles Leclerc was not responsible for the final mechanical failure that ended his afternoon. However, his overall pace was not particularly impressive either. That was probably influenced by a strategic approach that was less than ideal and which he himself helped define together with the Ferrari pit wall during the various phases of the race.
Viewed together, these three Grands Prix paint the picture of a driver who has struggled to build momentum at a time when Ferrari has started to become increasingly competitive. Right now, Charles Leclerc is a driver experiencing genuine difficulties. There is little point attempting to hide that reality. Even in the interviews conducted after sessions and races, the image that emerges is that of a driver who may be feeling the effects of Lewis Hamilton’s growing influence and resurgence within the team.
Charles Leclerc stated that he was happy for Lewis Hamilton’s victory and for Ferrari’s success, but he also admitted that he was returning home disappointed because he was not the driver standing on the highest step of the podium. For a competitor of Charles Leclerc’s calibre, that feeling is entirely understandable. Elite athletes are driven by victory. While they can appreciate the success of teammates and colleagues, they ultimately measure themselves against the highest possible standard.
So what is really happening? The issue probably has two distinct dimensions: one technical and one psychological. From a technical perspective, the Ferrari SF-26, and more generally the characteristics of the current Formula 1 regulations, appear to have evolved in a direction that increasingly suits Lewis Hamilton’s preferences and driving style. The upgrades introduced throughout the season have also contributed to strengthening the seven-time world champion’s position within the team.
First came the Carbon Industries brake system introduced in Japan. The Monegasque driver initially chose not to adopt this specification before eventually switching to it in Spain. Then came the Miami upgrade package, followed by the Barcelona package. Taken together, these three development steps appear to have increased Lewis Hamilton’s confidence significantly. At the same time, Lewis Hamilton publicly stated that he is contributing heavily to the development direction of the car.
Within this context, the growing understanding between Lewis Hamilton and Loïc Serra should also be considered. It is a factor that has already attracted attention inside and outside the Ferrari paddock. Furthermore, shortly after the Miami Grand Prix, the Briton made an important adjustment to his preparation methods. He reduced the amount of simulator work he was carrying out and instead chose to place greater emphasis on the sensations and information gathered directly on track during race weekends.
That decision has produced three outstanding performances: two second-place finishes followed by a victory. It is difficult to ignore the timing of that improvement. Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, remained more closely attached to traditional working methods. While those methods have often served him well in the past, the current circumstances suggest that Lewis Hamilton may have discovered a more effective approach for extracting performance from the SF-26.
It should also be emphasised that in Spain, the seven-time world champion completed one fewer session than Charles Leclerc. Despite that apparent disadvantage, he trusted the indications coming from the circuit itself and still managed to take the decisive step forward in qualifying, ultimately finishing ahead of his teammate. All of this leads directly to the second side of the issue: psychology.
Charles Leclerc may feel that he no longer possesses complete control over the technical direction of Ferrari’s project. Whether that perception is accurate or not is almost secondary. In elite sport, perception often influences confidence, and confidence influences performance. The team increasingly appears willing to listen carefully to Lewis Hamilton’s feedback, impressions and technical observations. That is understandable given his extraordinary experience and proven track record. Lewis Hamilton has spent years shaping championship-winning cars and working with some of the most successful technical groups in Formula 1 history.
Naturally, these remain interpretations rather than established facts. There is no objective evidence that allows anyone to state with certainty that Ferrari has shifted its internal balance toward Lewis Hamilton. However, there are signs and trends that can reasonably be interpreted in that way.
The reaction Ferrari expects
So what must Charles Leclerc do now? The Monegasque driver must use the two-week break before the Austrian Grand Prix, scheduled for the weekend of 26-28 June, to recover mentally and physically. He needs to reset, regain clarity, work closely with the team and begin re-establishing his own methods and confidence.
In certain respects, although the situations are obviously different, Charles Leclerc is experiencing something similar to what George Russell has been facing at Mercedes alongside Andrea Kimi Antonelli. A driver begins the season strongly, sees a teammate grow in confidence and performance, and eventually finds himself dealing with the consequences of that rise. Charles Leclerc remains an exceptionally fast driver. His raw speed has never been in doubt. He has recently extended his contract with Ferrari and remains a central pillar of the team’s long-term future.
Precisely for that reason, he must demonstrate the ability to react. Equally, Ferrari must ensure that he is placed in the best possible conditions to do so. Perhaps what Charles Leclerc needs most is simply a normal race weekend. A weekend without mistakes, without complications and without the constant pressure of having to overdeliver in order to compensate for other weaknesses.
Using a cycling comparison, he must climb the mountain at his own rhythm. He does not need to chase every attack immediately. Instead, he must maximise the potential of the tools available to him and gradually rebuild confidence through performance. Step by step, Charles Leclerc must rebuild himself and, consequently, rebuild his championship campaign. His title challenge is far from over, particularly if Ferrari continues to improve its competitiveness.
The team also expects to address its remaining power unit difficulties through the introduction of the ADUO system. If those expectations are fulfilled, Ferrari could soon have a package consistently capable of competing for victories across a variety of circuits. The one mistake Charles Leclerc absolutely cannot afford is allowing Lewis Hamilton to significantly increase the gap between them in the championship standings.
If that were to happen, Ferrari’s senior management in Maranello could eventually be forced to make a strategic choice regarding driver hierarchy. The team might find itself identifying one driver as the primary championship contender and the other as a supporting figure. That scenario remains distant for now, but Formula 1 history shows that such decisions can arrive quickly when a title challenge begins to take shape. It is difficult to imagine the Monegasque willingly accepting such a future. He has invested too much into Ferrari’s project and has spent too many years carrying the expectations of the Scuderia.
For that reason, a response is required. More importantly, there are valid reasons to believe that response will arrive. Perhaps it will happen immediately at Spielberg, a circuit that has traditionally suited Charles Leclerc’s driving style. The Austrian venue has often brought out some of his strongest performances, whereas Lewis Hamilton has frequently found the Red Bull Ring a more challenging environment. If Charles Leclerc is looking for the ideal place to begin his comeback, Austria may provide exactly that opportunity.
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