Lewis Hamilton’s unwanted record: Charles Leclerc defends teammate

As Lewis Hamilton finished his first campaign ever in Formula 1 in 19 years without a single grand prix podium, Charles Leclerc says he knows firsthand how “tricky” the SF-25 was to drive.

It was bordering between putting the car “in the wall” or progressing in qualifying.

‘Wall or progress’, Charles Leclerc lays bare Ferrari’s troubles

Hamilton’s 19th season in Formula 1 has arguably been his most challenging yet, as the 40-year-old has had to contend with the expectations of being a Ferrari driver, the pursuit of an eighth World title, and the world’s spotlight bearing down on his shoulders.

It’s led to some snappy comments towards his race engineer Riccardo Adami, several downbeat interviews with Sky’s Rachel Brookes, and an overall sense that this is not the dream.

So much so that there are still questions about whether Hamilton will line up on the grid in Melbourne next March.

Charles Leclerc v Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari 2025 head-to-head scores

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

But unlike after his title defeat in 2021 when he went silent, this time around Hamilton says his intention is to throw his phone away and take a proper break.

“I’ll find out when I do it,” he told PlanetF1.com and other media after his post-season break. “But I can’t wait to get away from all this. Every week photo shoots and all that kind of stuff.

“That’s the thing I look forward to one day, not having to do it all.”

He, however, didn’t voice any doubts about returning in 2026 when the sport overhauls the cars and engines for his next attack on the World title.

But while a lot has, and will still be, said about Hamilton’s debut campaign with Ferrari that ended with 156 points, a single Sprint win and no grand prix podiums, the person most in the know as to what the Briton had to deal with, Leclerc, has all but defended him.

“I’m driving the car as well,” Leclerc told PlanetF1.com and other media in Abu Dhabi, “and I can see how tricky the car is and how you’ve just got to go full commitment.

“It’s either in the wall or through to Q1 and then you do need to do the same in Q2, and then you need to do the same in Q3,

“I know what it’s like to have a car that is… also for the understanding of the car, it’s much more difficult to understand something from the car when you really have to push to the absolute limit.

“In Q2 thought I would put it into the wall quite a few times, and that makes it difficult to also improve the car, just like probably the McLaren or Red Bull do by pushing a little bit less in Q1 and Q2, you understand more about what’s going on with the car.

“So, yeah, it’s a tricky situation.”

And Leclerc, like Hamilton, is hoping that Ferrari’s early-season decision to focus on the all-new 2056 car will pay dividends.

“I don’t want to speak too early,” said the Monegasque driver, “and I want to wait the first qualifying of next year before doing any big statement. But let’s say that we sacrificed a part of that of that season to focus on next year’s car.

“And I really hope that, yeah, next year we’ll be starting on the right foot. And if that’s the case, yes, I’m looking forward to next year ”

Additional reporting by Mat Coch Thomas Maher

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