Lewis Hamilton achieves something no Ferrari teammate had managed against Charles Leclerc as Monaco concerns emerge
For years, one of Charles Leclerc’s greatest strengths at Ferrari has been his ability to consistently outperform whoever occupied the other side of the garage. Whether it was Sebastian Vettel during the latter stages of the German’s career or Carlos Sainz throughout their four seasons together, the Monegasque driver was rarely comprehensively beaten on outright pace.
That is why what happened at the Canadian Grand Prix has attracted so much attention.
According to former Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer, Lewis Hamilton delivered a level of dominance over Charles Leclerc that Ferrari fans have rarely witnessed. While teammates have occasionally finished ahead of the Monegasque driver in the past, Palmer believes Montreal was different because Lewis Hamilton was consistently faster throughout the entire weekend rather than simply benefiting from strategy, incidents or fine margins.
The result was one of the most difficult weekends of Charles Leclerc’s Formula 1 career and has inevitably raised questions ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, a race that many had previously identified as Ferrari’s best opportunity of the season.
Lewis Hamilton controlled the battle from start to finish
Lewis Hamilton arrived in Canada carrying growing momentum and ultimately produced what many observers regarded as his strongest performance since joining Ferrari.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion outqualified Charles Leclerc in both Sprint Qualifying and Grand Prix Qualifying, while also comfortably finishing ahead on Sunday. By the chequered flag, Lewis Hamilton had built a gap of more than thirty seconds over his teammate, underlining the difference in pace between the two Ferrari drivers throughout the weekend.
Although Charles Leclerc managed to finish ahead in the Sprint after a late overtake, the overall picture painted a far less encouraging story for the Monaco-born driver.
His fourth-place finish in the Grand Prix appeared respectable on paper, but circumstances arguably flattered the final result. George Russell’s retirement removed a direct rival from contention, while McLaren’s tyre strategy errors also helped Charles Leclerc gain positions. In addition, he escaped significant consequences after a costly half-spin exiting the final chicane.
For a driver widely regarded as one of Formula 1’s fastest qualifiers and most complete racers, it was an unusually difficult weekend.
Jolyon Palmer sees a side of Charles Leclerc rarely witnessed before
Palmer admitted that his confidence in Charles Leclerc’s chances for Monaco had been shaken after witnessing the Canadian Grand Prix weekend unfold.
Prior to Montreal, many analysts viewed Charles Leclerc as the clear favourite within Ferrari heading into Monaco, largely because of his exceptional record around the streets of Monte Carlo and his ability to extract extraordinary pace over a single lap.
However, Palmer suggested that Canada revealed a driver struggling to find confidence and comfort with the car.
Throughout the race weekend, Charles Leclerc appeared increasingly frustrated, and his radio communications reflected that mood. At one stage during the Grand Prix, he effectively requested that the team limit communications unless absolutely necessary, a sign that the Monegasque driver was becoming increasingly disconnected from the race unfolding around him.
Palmer observed that the overall impression was one of a driver enduring one of the toughest weekends of his Formula 1 career. More significantly, he argued that Charles Leclerc was not simply beaten by a teammate — he was comprehensively outpaced.
According to the former Renault driver, previous occasions when Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz or even Lewis Hamilton finished ahead of Charles Leclerc generally involved extremely small margins, often amounting to little more than a few hundredths of a second. The balance of performance usually remained close to 50-50.
Montreal, however, felt very different.
Lewis Hamilton consistently held the upper hand throughout every stage of the weekend, often enjoying an advantage measured in multiple tenths of a second. Palmer suggested that this role reversal was particularly striking because Charles Leclerc is normally the Ferrari driver capable of creating that kind of gap over his teammates.
The performance difference appeared to stem largely from Charles Leclerc’s inability to find grip and confidence in the SF-26, something that affected his pace from the very beginning of the weekend.
Monaco arrives at a crucial moment for Ferrari’s star driver
The timing of the Monaco Grand Prix now adds another fascinating dimension to the story.
On one hand, there is no circuit on the Formula 1 calendar more closely associated with Charles Leclerc. The streets of Monte Carlo have often brought out the very best in the Ferrari driver, and his victory there in 2024 finally ended years of heartbreak at his home race.
On the other hand, arriving at Monaco after such a difficult weekend raises legitimate questions about his confidence level.
Interestingly, Charles Leclerc has reportedly reduced some of his usual media commitments ahead of the event, choosing instead to focus fully on preparation for what he has frequently described as the most important race of his season.
For Palmer, that decision suggests a driver searching for a mental reset before one of the most intense weekends of the year. The former F1 driver believes Charles Leclerc is trying to clear his mind, step away from the disappointment of Canada and rediscover the rhythm that has made him one of Monaco’s most formidable competitors.
Whether Monaco proves to be the perfect remedy or simply increases the pressure remains one of the biggest storylines heading into the weekend.
Has Lewis Hamilton provided the blueprint?
There may also be another interesting parallel emerging inside Ferrari.
Before delivering his strongest result in red, Lewis Hamilton chose to break away from his usual routine. Rather than immediately returning to Europe for simulator sessions and extensive factory work, the British driver spent time in North America with friends, allowing himself to mentally disconnect from Formula 1.
Following his impressive Canadian Grand Prix performance, Lewis Hamilton suggested that the change of approach had played an important role in helping him arrive at the circuit feeling refreshed and more relaxed.
As Charles Leclerc seeks to move on from what he openly described as one of the worst weekends of his career, some observers believe he may be following a similar path by stepping back from distractions and focusing solely on regaining confidence.
Ferrari remains widely tipped as one of the strongest teams heading into Monaco thanks to the strengths of its chassis and the reduced importance of outright engine power around the Principality. However, the spotlight will not only be on the SF-26.
It will also be firmly fixed on the fascinating intra-team battle between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, a rivalry that suddenly looks far more competitive than many expected just a few weeks ago.
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