The challenge between Hamilton and Leclerc
If in 2025 the internal challenge within the Ferrari team between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc clearly favored the Monegasque, in 2026 the situation changed in favor of the English champion.
Last year Leclerc prevailed in qualifying with a decisive 19-5, which translated into an even clearer 20-4 in the race, with a total points of 242 to 156 leaving little room for discussion.
This season instead after 11 grands prix it is Lewis Hamilton who leads 169 to 138 in total points , while Leclerc is leading 7-4 in qualifying, with the Englishman reclaiming the lead in the race 6-5. In short, a much harder-fought comparison than twelve months ago, which must take into account the regulatory change and also some problems suffered by Leclerc (the two retirements in Monaco and Barcelona).
The rivalry between the drivers seen by Vasseur
In the long interview given around the summer break by Frederic Vasseur to the French Auto Hebdo, the manager spoke precisely about the internal team competition: “A part of the performance always comes from the comparison between the two drivers. It happens like this with us, but also with McLaren and Mercedes, a bit less with Red Bull for other reasons. But Mercedes and McLaren are in the same situation as us: one week one leads the other and then the opposite happens. It is part of the performance”.
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Vasseur emphasized the importance of putting Ferrari first despite the internal rivalry between Hamilton and Leclerc: “They must respect the team, as we respect them. They must behave properly. I see that they collaborate and push each other towards performance. Progress is also made because they are at 110% every lap. Even in free practice, the most important thing for them is to be ahead of their teammate”.
