Former Ferrari driver Ivan Capelli believes Charles Leclerc is beginning to feel the effects of the significant changes Lewis Hamilton has helped introduce behind the scenes at Maranello, suggesting the Monegasque driver is now “starting to suffer” as a result.
When Lewis Hamilton arrived at Ferrari ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season, Charles Leclerc held a clear advantage. The seven-time world champion faced the challenge of adapting to a completely new environment after spending his entire F1 career with English-speaking teams, while Leclerc was already deeply integrated into Ferrari’s culture and way of working.
As a result, Leclerc comfortably came out on top in their first season as teammates. The Monegasque driver took advantage of Hamilton’s adaptation struggles during the final year of the previous ground-effect regulations, a generation of cars the British driver never fully embraced.
However, the arrival of Formula 1’s new 2026 regulations, combined with a series of operational and organisational changes that Hamilton has pushed for over the past 17 months, appears to have shifted the balance.
After seven rounds of the 2026 campaign, Hamilton sits on 115 championship points, while Leclerc has managed 75. The momentum that once belonged firmly to the Monegasque driver now appears to be on the other side of the Ferrari garage.
Ivan Capelli sees signs of pressure affecting Charles Leclerc
Part of the points gap was created during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, where Leclerc retired due to a power-steering failure while Hamilton celebrated his first Ferrari victory. Yet Barcelona was also the fifth race of the season in which Hamilton finished ahead of his teammate, underlining a broader trend.
The past few weeks have been particularly difficult for Leclerc. He crashed during qualifying in Monaco, suffered another accident in Barcelona qualifying and also made an error during the Monaco Grand Prix itself. Watching the Briton dominate in Spain while his own race ended prematurely only added to the frustration.
According to Ivan Capelli, these mistakes may not be isolated incidents. The former Ferrari driver believes they are signs that Leclerc is struggling to find the calmness and confidence that have traditionally been among his strengths.
Speaking to Fanpage, Capelli explained: “These minor mistakes are certainly the result of a lack of composure and the fact that he needs to regain his balance.
“I have always believed this; Charles has immense talent, but he can’t harness it when he needs to develop himself alongside the car. Often, this talent allows him to overcome the car’s limitations, but it doesn’t help him evolve. On the other hand, we have a Hamilton who may well be slower over a single lap with an equal car. But now, with his working method, he’s starting to make the difference. And Charles is starting to suffer from this.”
Capelli’s comments highlight what many inside the paddock have observed in recent months: Hamilton’s influence at Ferrari extends far beyond his performances on track. The Briton has been heavily involved in reshaping processes and helping the team evolve its approach, something that is increasingly reflected in the results.
Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari has finally embraced the changes he requested
When Lewis Hamilton joined Ferrari in 2025, many of the Scuderia’s procedures were completely unfamiliar to him. In contrast, Charles Leclerc had grown up within the Ferrari system, having joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016 before making his race debut for the team in 2019.
Despite Leclerc’s deep-rooted connection to the organisation, Ferrari has shown a willingness to adapt in response to Hamilton’s feedback. The process took time, but the team gradually implemented several of the changes the British driver had been advocating as part of his effort to return Ferrari to the front of the Formula 1 grid.
Among those changes was a significant restructuring on Hamilton’s side of the garage, including the replacement of his race engineer ahead of the 2026 season after his partnership with Riccardo Adami failed to fully click.
Now, after claiming his maiden Ferrari victory, the Briton believes those efforts are finally paying off.
Speaking after his triumph in Barcelona, the seven-time world champion expressed satisfaction at seeing the progress arrive much earlier than expected: “It’s been happening over the last few races,” Hamilton said, via RACER. “The changes that I’ve asked for and pushed for all last year have been made, and I now have the right team around me. I now have the right car around me, and, now, I can start doing what I do best.
“I think it’s so early in the season to get to this point. These guys have really listened and really worked hard to add performance and be innovative. This year is all about innovations … and this is what I was asking for last year.
“I was like, ‘This team has to be the leaders in that,’ and they’ve shown that they can and they will.”
For Ferrari, Hamilton’s Barcelona victory represented far more than a single race win. It was validation that the changes implemented over the past year are beginning to produce tangible results. For Charles Leclerc, however, it also serves as a reminder that the competitive landscape within Ferrari has changed dramatically, with his teammate now emerging as the benchmark on both sides of the garage.
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