In the latest episode of the Terruzzi Racconta podcast, hosted by Giorgio Terruzzi together with Pino Allievi and Stefano Nicoli, one of the hottest topics at Ferrari is discussed: Charles Leclerc’s role within the team, with the door even opened to a possible departure. It’s a frank analysis that questions leadership management and the Monegasque driver’s future in red, especially following the arrival of Lewis Hamilton.
“Welcoming Hamilton was a mistake,” Terruzzi begins. According to the journalist, the decision — too meekly accepted by Leclerc and his entourage — would have further slowed down Charles’s rise as the team’s reference figure.
Missed leadership and diminished role for Charles Leclerc due to Lewis Hamilton’s arrival
The message is clear: Charles Leclerc has not yet managed to establish himself as the true leader of Ferrari. And even if a signal has been seen in qualifying, “being the leader” doesn’t just mean driving fast, but also taking a dominant role in the technical direction, strategic choices, and internal management. “What Schumacher used to do,” they note, but immediately add: “Leclerc is not Schumacher.”
“Give him the right car and he’ll win the World Championship,” says Allievi, “but he’s not the kind of driver who takes the project into his own hands.” It’s not a fault, but a reality that, in their view, must be accepted.
A talent trapped in the wrong context?
“After seven years, either you take matters into your own hands or you quit,” says Terruzzi. According to him, Charles Leclerc risks going down in history as one of the strongest drivers never truly rewarded by his team, “trapped in a system that doesn’t fully value him.” The comparison with Fernando Alonso is inevitable: he too arrived at Maranello at the wrong time and left with a “frustrated” career.
The debate shifts to the impact of Lewis Hamilton’s arrival in 2025. “I’m not saying it delegitimized him, but almost,” says the journalist. “The opportunity to recognize Charles Leclerc as the team’s speed leader was lost,” he adds, highlighting how it’s incomprehensible that, after seven years, Ferrari still has to figure out what its top driver needs.
“Last year Fred Vasseur said that Leclerc would learn from Hamilton…” Pino Allievi concludes with sarcasm.
In the end, the reflection is a bitter one: a clear direction is needed. If Charles Leclerc will never be a managerial leader, then Ferrari must build a winning car around him, avoiding asking him to be something he’s not. Otherwise, it will be yet another wasted opportunity from Maranello.
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