Why Charles Leclerc thrives where Lewis Hamilton struggles: a driving style analysis amid SF-25 characteristics. An in-depth analysis of the contrasting driving styles of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

That Ferrari is not performing well in this start of the 2025 Formula 1 championship is unfortunately a sad reality that we have to accept. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc had hoped to drive a more solid and stable car after the high expectations in the winter period before the pre-season testing session at the Bahrain circuit. Instead, the SF-25 single-seater has many flaws that the Maranello team is trying to fix with the first substantial aerodynamic update package which is planned for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at the Imola circuit. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc has developed a driving technique that allows him to extract the maximum potential, and the results are evident. The British driver, on the other hand, is struggling significantly.

The Ferrari team has given their all, of course, but as for the seven-time Formula 1 world champion, there is a limit he just can’t shake off. Many years spent with Mercedes and an unhappy adjustment to the Italian side: these are the main reasons currently slowing down the Englishman. But the Maranello team has promised maximum effort to support him.

There are no doubts about this; after all, we are talking about a true asset of the team that must somehow be protected. Claiming that the British driver is no longer capable of performing well seems quite foolish. He is in significant difficulty. However, his flash of brilliance in the Chinese Sprint, with pole position and sprint victory, confirms his value. He needs to give more, that’s true. We wait with hope.

Today, we delve into a particular analysis in order to try to explain the performance gap between the two Ferrari drivers. We always start with the onboard footage, the only true tool capable of providing all the details on a Formula 1 driver’s driving style, combining it with telemetry data. By consulting these figures, averaging the two different stints at the 6.174-kilometre Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia, we notice several key findings on track.

We have done this through each individual measurement of speed, gaps, and throttle during the runs, providing an overview of the actions related to the driver during the time period in question. From this analysis, several key points emerge. The first important observation: throughout the stint, Lewis Hamilton was among the first to lift his foot off the throttle during braking to anticipate as much as possible the moment when he would reapply the gas.

Due to Ferrari’s chronic understeer, the Briton tries to limit the entry to focus better on the exit, while the Monegasque adopts a different approach: he is almost always one of the last to lift off the throttle, and as a result, delays his re-application of the gas during the exit phase. This highlights two important aspects. The first is the fact that Charles Leclerc has developed a braking style that allows him to bring the car to the limit during entry.

The second is that Lewis Hamilton is currently trying to compensate for the chronic issues of the SF-25 car with a driving style that is not effective at all. During the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, there were several radio communications regarding this aspect, both in the first and second stints: his race engineer Riccardo Adami informed the Briton where he was losing time, often reminding him to work on the so-called “peak and release.”

With Formula 1 cars, the goal is always to accelerate hard, then perfectly manage the release of the pedal before reaching the apex. Lewis Hamilton was unable to optimize this aspect. For example, in turn 22 alone, he lost around two-tenths to his Maranello teammate during braking. The pressure profile on the pedal has yet to be perfected, so there is still work to be done.

Looking more specifically, it is noticeable that the seven-time Formula 1 world champion lost a significant amount of ground in the various “snake” sections of the Saudi Arabian track. In these sections, characterized by rapid direction changes, he showed a rather unstable rear of the car, where the SF-25 car’s inherent lack of rotation often turned into oversteer during the exit phase. This forced him into a more conservative driving style.

In general, the unstable load of an F1 car undermines the driver’s confidence. However, the Monegasque manages to control the rear end thanks to excellent sensitivity, a result of many years spent unloading the rear to go faster on the straights. Lewis Hamilton loses a significant amount of minimum speed, not only compared to his teammate but especially to Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri.

This difference in approach inevitably leads to different demands on the tire compounds. By requiring less during braking, the front end of the car receives less energy, thus limiting the temperature buildup on this axle. It is no coincidence that, after the pit stop at the end of the first stint on Medium tires, car number 44 showed clear signs of graining on the front-left tire.

In the image below, the “black stripe” on the inside of the tread is clearly visible, a displaced position due to the static camber imposed on the tire. By demanding more during entry, Charles Leclerc manages the front end well, though he too was struggling until George Russell came in for a pit stop, allowing him to run in clean air. A combination of small factors that, in the end, limits the lifespan of the tire.

— see video above —