Charles Leclerc has found himself in an unfamiliar position at Ferrari during the 2026 Formula 1 season, with Lewis Hamilton gaining a significant advantage over his team-mate during part of the first half of the campaign. Former F1 engineer Rob Smedley believes the Monegasque at times appeared slightly lost as he struggled to find the feeling he wanted from the SF-26.
Hamilton’s progress has transformed the dynamic between Ferrari’s drivers compared with their first season together. The seven-time world champion currently sits second in the Drivers’ Championship and holds a 31-point advantage over Leclerc, a notable reversal after his difficult 2025 campaign. Their evolving performance picture has also been reflected in the mid-season comparison between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Rob Smedley sees a shift between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton joined Ferrari in 2025 after ending his long career with Mercedes, forming one of the most closely watched driver partnerships in Formula 1. His first campaign at Maranello proved difficult, but the arrival of the new technical regulations in 2026 has coincided with a considerable improvement in his form.
Leclerc, meanwhile, entered the partnership with the status of Ferrari’s established reference after his long association with the team. According to Smedley, however, this season has produced a situation the Monegasque has not encountered for some time: a team-mate enjoying a clear performance advantage over him for a meaningful period.
Speaking on the High Performance Racing podcast, Smedley explained that during the middle portion of the first half of the season, Hamilton had a significant upper hand. He regarded that as unusual for Leclerc given both his experience and the level at which he has performed for Ferrari over the years.
Charles Leclerc struggled to find confidence with the SF-26
Smedley linked part of the situation to Leclerc’s dissatisfaction with the car. He indicated that Ferrari made changes to several components, including elements around the braking system and the types of materials being used, as the team searched for a configuration that better suited its driver.
Even with those adjustments, the former F1 engineer felt Leclerc appeared unusually uncertain for a competitor of his experience and ability. The difficulties with extracting a natural feeling from the SF-26 have been an important theme of his season, with Charles Leclerc previously acknowledging progress with the car while still lacking a completely natural driving feel.
Hamilton’s situation has moved in the opposite direction. After struggling to settle during his first Ferrari season, the Briton has taken a major step forward in 2026 and established himself as the Scuderia’s highest-placed driver in the championship. His adaptation to Maranello had previously been analysed by Smedley, who identified key factors behind Lewis Hamilton’s earlier difficulties feeling at home at Ferrari.
Otmar Szafnauer believes Ferrari should leave Charles Leclerc alone
Despite Leclerc’s challenging period, former Formula 1 team boss Otmar Szafnauer does not believe Ferrari needs to intervene aggressively. Asked how he would handle the situation from a management perspective, Szafnauer favoured a hands-off approach in which the team continues to support the driver without forcing a formal conversation about his performances.
His reasoning is that Leclerc already appears to be responding. Szafnauer stressed that his assessment was based on personal impression rather than factual inside information, but he felt Hamilton had enjoyed a larger advantage earlier in the season than he does now.
In Szafnauer’s view, Leclerc has raised his level across the two most recent races and moved closer to his team-mate. That improvement suggests the internal battle is still evolving rather than settling permanently in Hamilton’s favour.
Lewis Hamilton leads Charles Leclerc by 31 points
The championship standings nevertheless underline how much the balance has changed. Hamilton currently holds second place, with Leclerc 31 points behind. That has strengthened the seven-time champion’s position within Ferrari’s 2026 title challenge after a first year at Maranello in which his form regularly fell below expectations.
There have still been missed opportunities for Hamilton this season. Penalties, incidents and strategic setbacks have contributed to an estimated 20 points slipping away from his 2026 championship campaign, meaning his advantage over Leclerc has not been built through an entirely straightforward run of weekends.
For Leclerc, the immediate picture is more encouraging than it was earlier in the campaign. Smedley’s assessment highlights how unusual it was to see the Monegasque struggling for direction while a team-mate established a meaningful advantage, but Szafnauer believes the recent trend is already moving back towards a closer contest.
That leaves Ferrari with an intriguing internal battle for the second half of 2026. Hamilton has established the stronger championship position and demonstrated a major improvement under the new regulations, while Leclerc appears to be finding more from the SF-26 after the difficult phase identified by Smedley. Whether that recovery continues will determine how closely the two Ferrari drivers are matched as the season develops.
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