Charles Leclerc’s difficult spell
“We have to acknowledge the fact that over the last four Grands Prix – including the Canadian Sprint – he has always finished behind Lewis Hamilton.” Starting from that statistic, veteran Italian journalist Pino Allievi analyzed what has become a delicate phase of the season for Charles Leclerc during the latest Q&A podcast on the FormulaPassion.it YouTube channel.
What could be going through the mind of the Monegasque driver? According to Allievi, the answer may lie in the changing dynamics within Ferrari.
“Charles Leclerc was used to being Ferrari’s golden boy, and rightly so, because he had effectively overturned Ferrari’s original idea of making Lewis Hamilton the reference point. Last year, the only real benchmark at Ferrari was Charles Leclerc. I’m not saying he became complacent, but he was in a very comfortable situation. We all thought that this year, with a competitive car, he would be the team’s leading attacking force. Instead, we have found a Lewis Hamilton who is aggressive, highly positive and very strong in qualifying.”
Charles Leclerc feeling the pressure from Lewis Hamilton
Pino Allievi then pointed out that the Monegasque likely did not expect such a strong resurgence from his teammate. In his view, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion has exceeded expectations since joining Ferrari and has altered the internal balance within the team: “Today Charles Leclerc is suffering against Lewis Hamilton, perhaps because he underestimated him and because he never accepted the idea that there could be someone inside the team who is faster than him.”
According to the journalist, signs of this competitive discomfort had already appeared in previous years.
“When Carlos Sainz was ahead of him, he suffered enormously. He never tolerated being behind him and was always pushing to respond. He is not a jealous driver, but he struggles with the idea that someone else, in equal machinery, can match or outperform him.”
The arrival of Lewis Hamilton has created a new challenge for Charles Leclerc. For the first time since becoming Ferrari’s undisputed team leader, the Monegasque finds himself facing a teammate with exceptional experience, proven championship pedigree and the ability to deliver consistently at the highest level.
How can Charles Leclerc bounce back?
In Allievi’s opinion, the solution may require the 28-year-old to step away from distractions and rediscover the mindset that previously made him one of Formula 1’s most highly rated talents: “He needs to regain his focus, just as Lewis Hamilton did over the winter. He needs to disappear for a while, find himself again in silence, look within and return to being Charles Leclerc.”
Despite the recent criticism, Allievi made it clear that he still rates Charles Leclerc extremely highly and believes the Ferrari driver has not lost any of his natural speed: “Despite everything, I still think that, in absolute terms, Charles Leclerc is faster than the current Lewis Hamilton. He simply needs to switch into the same mindset as a Lewis Hamilton who now has a car capable of fighting for the world championship.”
Recent results, however, underline the scale of the challenge facing the Monegasque driver. After a difficult run of races, Charles Leclerc currently sits fourth in the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship with 75 points. He trails second-placed Lewis Hamilton by 40 points and championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli by 81 points.
With Ferrari firmly involved in the battle at the front of the grid, the coming races could prove crucial in determining whether Charles Leclerc can reassert himself within the team and close the gap to both Lewis Hamilton and the leading contenders in the title fight.
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