‘What’s Leclerc doing?’ – Untelevised Russell team radio after ‘aggressive’ Hamilton battle
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have one podium apiece after the first two rounds of 2026
Untelevised team radio footage from the Chinese Grand Prix has revealed the moment George Russell accused Charles Leclerc of backing up Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton.
It comes after the Mercedes driver branded the battle between Hamilton and Leclerc as “some of the most aggressive racing I’ve seen for a while”, admitting he was waiting for the Ferrari pair to collide.
George Russell: Charles Leclerc ‘backed up’ Lewis Hamilton
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Hamilton claimed his first podium finish as a Ferrari driver in Shanghai, crossing the line in third place behind Russell and the race-winning Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli.
The seven-time world champion’s maiden top-three result with Ferrari came in his 26th appearance for the Scuderia following his high-profile move from Mercedes at the start of 2025.
Hamilton’s first Ferrari podium came after a spirited battle with Leclerc, who put up a firm fight against his Ferrari teammate.
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Leclerc was heard taking satisfaction from his duel with Hamilton, telling Ferrari over team radio at one stage: “This is actually quite a fun battle.”
However, untelevised team radio footage from Lap 24 in China has uncovered a particularly feisty moment between the Ferrari drivers, with Russell expressing his surprise as he watched on from behind.
After passing Hamilton down the inside into the Turn 14 hairpin, Leclerc appeared to delay his acceleration out of the corner, forcing Hamilton to slow up behind.
The concertina effect saw Russell also caught up in the incident, with the Mercedes driver jinking his steering wheel to the left and running close to the edge of the track on exit.
Russell said: “What’s Leclerc doing?”
Marcus Dudley, his race engineer, kept Russell informed of the situation ahead of the following straight by replying: “Lewis will have overtake.”
Russell added: “Leclerc just backed up Lewis in the train.”
Russell went on to make his way past both Ferraris, finishing 20 seconds clear of Hamilton at the chequered flag.
Appearing in the post-race press conference in China, Russell later admitted that he was surprise by how “aggressive” the Ferrari drivers were with each other in battle.
Asked what he learned about Ferrari’s pace during his battle with Hamilton and Leclerc, he said: “Well, I was just waiting for the two of them to collide and somehow they didn’t.
“It was some of the most aggressive racing I’ve seen for a while.
“If I wasn’t trying to win the race, I’d have been enjoying the battle, but obviously watching Kimi pull away during those points it was a little bit annoying.
“But Ferrari definitely very quick. They’re quicker in the corners than us, slower than us on the straight, so it just made it a little bit challenging.
“And when you’re trying to get past two of them at the same point, that wasn’t straightforward.
“But as it stands, we have the upper hand, but we can’t take that for granted because obviously we know some things [a change to the way engine compression ratios are measured by the FIA] are going to be changing in a couple of months.
“The upgrades are massive at the moment, so let’s see where it falls out.”
Asked if the time he lost behind Hamilton and Leclerc denied him the opportunity to fight Antonelli for victory, he added: “I think it would have been very difficult to challenge Kimi, to be honest.
“He’s been very quick this weekend and when you’ve got two cars that are very similar pace, trying to get past on the same tyres is a little bit challenging.
“But obviously that time I lost with the Ferraris just gave me no chance.
“But as I said, I’m pleased just to be in P2 because it could have been a lot worse, and overall, it’s been a solid weekend.”
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