The standings situation
Analyzing the first half of the 2026 season, Ferrari has secured victory on two occasions; while Charles Leclerc won the British Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton achieved his first success in Red at Barcelona, which also allowed him, along with other good results, to occupy second place in the overall standings. Leclerc, on the other hand, is currently in 4th place, 31 points behind the seven-time world champion and behind Mercedes’ George Russell.
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Szafnauer and Smedley
However, the Monegasque has been at the center of some controversy for his performance, which seemed less consistent compared to Hamilton’s. Defending Leclerc, who in his private life is nevertheless experiencing a sweet and memorable period, was Otmar Szafnauer, former Team Principal of Aston Martin and Alpine. The American engineer, speaking on the High Performance Racing podcast, was very direct towards Ferrari regarding the internal duel: “No, leave him alone. I wouldn’t talk to him, but I would give him my support – he commented – Lewis at the beginning of the year, and I’m not speaking from facts but from feeling, was a bit ahead of Leclerc compared to now. I believe Charles has raised his level in the last two races, getting a bit closer to Lewis.”
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The real difference between the two lies in the number of podiums achieved: five for Hamilton against four for Leclerc, but especially in Leclerc’s retirements in his Monte Carlo and Barcelona. In the first half of the championship, Hamilton has never finished a race outside the points zone, with his worst result being 6th place in Suzuka and Miami: “I think it’s the first time in a long time that Charles has a significant advantage over his teammate – added former Ferrari track engineer Rob Smedley – Charles was not happy with the car. I know they modified some components of the braking system, the materials, and other similar things, but he seemed a bit lost, considering his experience and his level as a driver.”
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