HomeFormula 1Charles Leclerc Admits the Game-Changing Impact Lewis Hamilton Is Already Having at...

Charles Leclerc Admits the Game-Changing Impact Lewis Hamilton Is Already Having at Ferrari

Seven-time World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, shocked the Formula 1 world when he left Mercedes in favor of Ferrari after 12 years with the Silver Arrows. He had so much success with Mercedes, but after a few down years, he decided to make a move for the final stage of his career.

His new teammate, Charles LeClerc, sat down with The Times in Austria to talk about the impact Hamilton has had in just a few short months with the team.

Hamilton’s early impact on Ferrari

Ferrari finished the 2024 season 14 points off P1 in the constructors’ championship and entered the 2025 season expecting to be very competitive. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. In 12 feature races, Ferrari has just four podiums, which is not where they wanted to be at the halfway point.

“Three podiums since the beginning of the season? That’s not where we wanted to be,” Leclerc told The Times before the Austrian Grand Prix. “No victory. But we are working hard to try and turn the situation around.”

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Despite their poor start, there is some hope that Lewis Hamilton’s experience can guide them in the right direction in the near future.

“It’s been very interesting to see the areas where we [Ferrari] were working completely differently, compared to a team like Mercedes, which had huge success in the past, and to compare this way of working. I’m sure that this will help us to do steps forward in the future.

“There’s already been very interesting feedback from Lewis, because for me [the feeling in the car], it’s the normality. It opens your mind to different working techniques.”

With the hopes of a championship in 2025 basically out the window, Ferrari will be banking on Hamilton’s feedback to help build a championship car when the new regulations come into effect next season.

Pressure from the Tifosi mounting

Ferrari red runs deep in the world of Formula 1. Ferrari fans are as passionate about their team as anyone, and while Leclerc loves seeing the sea of red everywhere he goes, he admits their passion puts a bit more pressure on him and the team.

“The Tifosi, the amount of passion that they have for the team, I share that same passion, and that is a very special thing. I still think that passion can be detrimental sometimes. Whenever you are going through difficult times, if you have a lot of passion, then it makes these times even more difficult.

“But it also helps us to give so much whenever you’ve got to do the extra hour in order to turn the situation around. I have no doubts that at the factory, just like here, everybody is putting their heart into it to turn the situation around.”

There’s a lot of pressure on Leclerc, Hamilton and the rest of the team to deliver Ferrari’s first championship since 2007. With the new regulations coming into effect in 2026, everyone starts over from scratch, and Ferrari hopes they can be the ones who come out ahead early.

Charlie Luke Hubbard
Charlie Luke Hubbard
Luke Hubbard is a Sports Writer covering Formula 1 for FastestPitstop. His love for motorsport and his passion for writing help him craft thoughtful and in-depth stories to share with the world.
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