Charles Leclerc compared the work dynamic between his new teammate Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz, who was with Ferrari until last year.
The 2025 Formula 1 season had already gone through seven weekends, with few points scored and many disappointments that did not match the pre-season expectations. It was supposed to be the year Ferrari returned to winning titles, something they had been missing since 2008, when Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa brought home the Constructors’ Championship. However, Hamilton’s arrival still brought benefits, and Leclerc offered a comparison with the work Sainz had done at Ferrari up to 2024.
On the Thursday of his home race weekend, Charles Leclerc arrived in Monaco as the reigning Monte Carlo GP winner. After years of sacrifices, retirements, and strategic errors, the Monegasque driver finally triumphed on the streets of his home city, in a wave of emotions that touched everyone. It was a major chapter in his Formula 1 career, a victory achieved only on his sixth attempt around the narrow roads of the principality.
Following that success, the SF-25 did not appear as strong mechanically as the SF-24, partly due to a significant compromise with the rear axle. In fact, the rear suspension was forced to work within an operating window that was not ideal for the car. This window had only been glimpsed during FP2 at the season opener in Melbourne, when Leclerc and Ferrari seemed completely in sync and very close to McLaren. From that moment on, the story became clear, and we had covered every chapter — from the discovery of the issues to the ongoing work in Maranello led by Loic Serra.
Lewis and Carlos, two hard workers with major differences
This work coincided with Lewis Hamilton’s adjustment process, as he had to become familiar with Maranello’s operational approach. The seven-time world champion began influencing Ferrari’s trackside operations, bringing with him the knowledge he acquired during his years at Mercedes in Brackley. The Monegasque spoke about this, describing the extraordinary way the British driver worked, and contrasted it with his former teammate Carlos Sainz.
Charles Leclerc stated that Lewis Hamilton was a very hard worker. While Carlos also worked hard, he did so in a different way. Leclerc explained that it had been very interesting to see how Lewis Hamilton approached problems, to observe his discussions with the engineers, and to listen to his comments and ideas for car development. Given Lewis Hamilton’s great talent, Charles Leclerc also watched his driving closely. He realized that the two of them shared many similarities — for example, both pushed very hard on corner entry. Their driving styles were aggressive and quite similar. Charles Leclerc believed this was beneficial for the team, as it helped them define a clear development direction.
Regarding the overall development of the car, he noted that both drivers were moving in the same direction.
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