It is fair to argue that Charles Leclerc has generally had the upper hand over Lewis Hamilton throughout most of the 2025 Formula 1 campaign.
Lewis Hamilton’s first campaign with Ferrari has not unfolded in the way he or the Scuderia had anticipated. The Ferrari SF25 has proven to be a challenging and inconsistent machine, and although the team is still firmly battling for second place in the Constructors’ Championship, it will require a strong final push from both drivers across the remaining 10 races of the year.
Of the two Ferrari drivers, Lewis Hamilton is the one with the greatest scope for improvement. The seven-time world champion is still searching for his maiden podium in red, a milestone that he is desperate to achieve. Few moments would mean more to Hamilton than finally celebrating a trophy with Ferrari in front of the passionate Tifosi.
Before the season began, Ferrari had given the Briton assurances that he would be provided with a highly competitive car, one that could challenge at the front of the grid. However, that promise has not been fulfilled so far, leaving the British driver in a more difficult position than he expected.
As the championship heads into its summer pause, Lewis Hamilton will inevitably compare his current campaign with Ferrari to his final year at Mercedes in 2024. Such a comparison highlights that there is still considerable work to be done if Ferrari are to put themselves in a stronger position for 2026.
Behind the scenes, Charles Leclerc was said to have responded in a surprisingly positive way when he first learned that Ferrari were intent on signing Hamilton for the 2025 season. According to reports, the Monegasque driver welcomed the challenge, even lobbying internally in favor of the move. Charles Leclerc is believed to have told team management, including Ferrari chairman John Elkann and team principal Frédéric Vasseur, that he wanted Hamilton alongside him. For Leclerc, competing directly against a seven-time champion was the only way to truly measure his own level as a driver, and he did not shy away from the idea of two star names sharing the Ferrari garage.
Hamilton’s struggles were underlined at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where his performance placed him in an unwanted statistical category. He became the first multiple-time champion since Alain Prost in 1993 to finish outside the top ten at the Budapest circuit after already holding four or more world titles. The contrast with his teammate was stark, as Charles Leclerc secured pole position and fought for the win, looking fast and confident throughout the weekend.
Former IndyCar driver and commentator James Hinchcliffe has suggested that very few within the paddock agreed with Hamilton’s own post-race admission that his skills had been “useless” at the Hungaroring. Hinchcliffe argued that while Hamilton’s words may have reflected his personal frustration, the reality is that the car’s limitations played a major role in the disappointing result.
Meanwhile, Ferrari team boss Frédéric Vasseur has faced his own frustrations this season. The team took a bold gamble over the winter, opting to radically revise the concept of a car that in 2024 had finished only 14 points away from the world championship. The aggressive redesign of the SF25 has not produced the expected leap in performance, leaving the engineers fighting to recover ground with mid-season upgrades. Braking issues and instability in high-speed corners have been among the most visible weaknesses.
Recent developments, however, have given Ferrari cause for optimism. Updates to the car have allowed Charles Leclerc to unlock more performance, and with additional mileage, Hamilton is expected to benefit as well.
The French manager, though, was reported to be furious over rumors suggesting that technical director Loïc Serra was underperforming in his role and was to blame for Hamilton’s lack of results with the 2025 car. The Ferrari boss strongly rejected those claims, insisting that Serra’s work was not only sound but also vital to the team’s long-term progress. Fred Vasseur maintained that Ferrari’s form will improve as the season develops and that patience is required as both drivers and engineers adapt to the revised car philosophy.
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