Former racing star explains why Lewis Hamilton has become Ferrari’s reference point. Lewis Hamilton's growing influence inside Ferrari is becoming increasingly evident.

Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari influence grows as Charles Leclerc adopts his approach, says former IndyCar star

The internal dynamic at Ferrari appears to be evolving as the 2026 Formula 1 season progresses. While the Scuderia continues to insist that both drivers receive equal treatment, recent performances and technical developments have led many observers to believe that Lewis Hamilton is increasingly becoming the team’s main reference point.

Former IndyCar driver and Formula 1 analyst James Hinchcliffe believes one particular detail says more than lap times or championship standings ever could. In his view, Charles Leclerc’s recent willingness to adopt solutions first introduced by Lewis Hamilton reflects the confidence Ferrari has gained in the seven-time World Champion’s technical direction.

Lewis Hamilton’s momentum continues to grow

After a difficult adaptation period at the beginning of the campaign, the Briton has steadily transformed his season. The Briton has now outperformed Charles Leclerc across the last five Grands Prix, collecting four podium finishes, including his breakthrough Ferrari victory in Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc has struggled to maintain the same level of consistency. The Monegasque has not reached the podium since Suzuka and now trails his teammate by 46 points in the Drivers’ Championship.

The Austrian Grand Prix provided another example of the contrasting fortunes inside the Ferrari garage. Although the SF-26 lacked the pace to challenge Mercedes and Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton remained comfortably ahead of Charles Leclerc throughout the race. The British driver overtook his teammate multiple times, while Ferrari engineers reportedly found it difficult to explain Charles Leclerc’s inconsistent pace over the race distance.

Technical choices may reveal Ferrari’s changing balance

One of the biggest talking points this season has been the different ways Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have adapted to Formula 1’s latest technical regulations.

While Lewis Hamilton has gradually developed his own setup philosophy and worked closely with Ferrari engineers to tailor the SF-26 to his driving style, Charles Leclerc has encountered greater difficulties extracting consistent performance from the car under varying conditions.

Perhaps the clearest example came after the Monaco Grand Prix, when Charles Leclerc switched to the Carbon Industrie braking system that Lewis Hamilton had already been using. The change followed Charles Leclerc’s public criticism of Ferrari’s previous Brembo brake package after his Monaco retirement.

For James Hinchcliffe, that decision carries significant symbolic weight. Rather than simply representing a technical experiment, he believes it demonstrates that Charles Leclerc now views Lewis Hamilton’s direction as the benchmark inside Ferrari.

James Hinchcliffe sees an important shift

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, James Hinchcliffe suggested that Ferrari’s internal balance has gradually moved toward Lewis Hamilton, although he stopped short of saying the transition is complete.

According to the Canadian, last season Charles Leclerc was unquestionably Ferrari’s established reference driver, regularly outperforming Lewis Hamilton’s predecessor in both qualifying and races. However, he believes the situation has changed dramatically in 2026, with the seven-time world champion making remarkable progress as he has become fully integrated within the team.

James Hinchcliffe also highlighted the fact that Lewis Hamilton has matched the Monegasque’s traditionally outstanding qualifying performances, demonstrating just how successfully the seven-time World Champion has adapted to the SF-26 and Ferrari’s working methods.

Most importantly, James Hinchcliffe argued that the strongest evidence of Lewis Hamilton’s growing authority is not Ferrari favouring one driver over the other, but Charles Leclerc himself adopting setup recommendations and brake configurations developed on the opposite side of the garage. In his opinion, that is a stronger indication than any internal team decision, suggesting that Charles Leclerc now increasingly sees Lewis Hamilton as the driver setting the technical direction for Ferrari.

Whether that perception reflects the reality inside Maranello remains open to debate. Ferrari continues to publicly back both drivers equally, but as Lewis Hamilton’s confidence grows and his results continue to improve, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the possibility that the Scuderia’s competitive direction is now being shaped more heavily by the seven-time World Champion than at any previous point this season.