Charles Leclerc reveals what he has learned from Lewis Hamilton during their first year as Ferrari teammates. The Brit began his Scuderia journey at the start of 2025, but it has not yet yielded the desired results. However, Hamilton’s move to the Italian team was motivating for Leclerc: ‘I could compare myself with him.’
Charles Leclerc is nearing the end of his seventh season in Ferrari red. The Monegasque was teammates with Lewis Hamilton for the first time in 2025, after the seven-time world champion decided to swap Mercedes for Scuderia last year. Although the Brit was unable to secure a podium finish in his debut season with Ferrari – thereby setting an unwanted record – Leclerc has indeed been able to learn from the more experienced driver.
“I learned a lot from Lewis, especially about his way of working. How he analyses his data and which data are important to him,” Leclerc tells in his annual interview with the French L’Équipe. “I won’t go into detail, but before his arrival, I relied more on my intuition. Now I pay much more attention to the numbers and data, especially when it comes to warming up the tyres. Lewis is extremely precise when it comes to the window in which the rubber performs well, especially during qualifying.”
‘Did not stand in his shadow’
Although the tifosi in particular had hoped for more with Hamilton’s arrival at the Italian racing stable – the Brit now finishes at P6 in the drivers’ championship, behind Leclerc – his Ferrari debut was motivating for the Monegasque. “With his arrival, I had a lot to learn. It was a huge motivation for me to see him join the team, so I could compare myself with him,” Leclerc explains. “Lewis was a great help and I did not feel like I was standing in his shadow.”
