After narrowly losing the Constructors’ title in the final race of last season, Scuderia Ferrari was ready to bounce back in 2025 with the help of the seven-time World Champion. However, in the first nine races of the season, Ferrari has claimed only one victory — a Sprint win with Lewis Hamilton — and three podiums, all with Charles Leclerc. Giorgio Terruzzi, journalist and host of Terruzzi racconta, raised an important question in the latest podcast episode: “Who has been more useful to Leclerc — Carlos Sainz or Lewis Hamilton?” The opinions of Pino Allievi and Stefano Nicoli were divided.
Giorgio Terruzzi’s opinion
Giorgio Terruzzi has no doubts: “Up to now, Sainz has been more useful to Leclerc than Hamilton, in terms of his development.”
Pino Allievi and Stefano Nicoli strongly disagreed. Allievi said: “As motivation, no. The spark came from Hamilton.” Nicoli also believes the Briton is and will be key to the Monegasque’s development: “He wants to show just how big the gap is between him and Hamilton.”
Timing data analyzed by Allievi shows that the gap between Charles Leclerc and Sainz last season was minimal, while in the first nine races of 2025, the difference between car #16 and car #44 is more significant. Allievi admitted: “I was looking at the time gaps between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz last year — usually a tenth, two tenths, three tenths in Imola, three in Monte Carlo. In Spain they even set the same time, whereas here the qualifying gap between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton was quite substantial. Based on lap times, Sainz was stronger than Hamilton — if we look at the gap to Charles Leclerc.”
The times favour Carlos Sainz, and for this reason, according to Giorgio Terruzzi, the Spanish driver has been a constant source of motivation for Charles Leclerc.
What about you — who do you think has had a greater impact on Charles Leclerc’s growth: Lewis Hamilton or Carlos Sainz?
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