“It Hurts Because We’re Only Fighting for P3 in F1” : Leclerc Frustrated

Leclerc may be ahead of Hamilton, but Ferrari’s current limitations leave him disheartened as podiums replace the pursuit of victory.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc admits it’s satisfying to be ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the early part of the season, but there’s little joy in it while the team remains off the pace for wins.

Despite being one of the most successful drivers in Formula 1 history, Hamilton has been struggling to adapt to his new life at Ferrari. Leclerc, while leading his new teammate in performance so far, says he doesn’t know exactly why the seven-time world champion is having a tough time.

“I don’t have a clear explanation,” Leclerc said. “I’m focused on my own work. Lewis has always been someone I’ve looked up to, even before I entered Formula 1.”

“So yes, being ahead of him is rewarding in some way. But it doesn’t make me happy because right now, the best we can fight for is third place. That’s frustrating.”

Leclerc insists his focus is on helping Ferrari take the next step toward winning again. “I’m putting all my energy into improving the car so we can go for victories like he did in the China sprint race. I hope next time it’s my turn. It’s still early days for Lewis. He’s incredibly fast and I have a lot to learn from him.”

While Leclerc continues to adapt and fine-tune his approach, the gap between the two Ferrari drivers is starting to widen. Still, team principal Frédéric Vasseur downplayed any major concerns after Friday’s running.

“We’re far from Kimi [Antonelli] but close to Max [Verstappen],” Vasseur said. “That’s not enough. We’re dealing with a balance issue, but Lewis was close to Charles in Jeddah and he is again now.”

What’s becoming clear is that while Hamilton is still finding his rhythm, Leclerc is pushing hard to extract every bit of performance from the car.

“Step by step, I’m adjusting my driving to this car,” Leclerc explained. “It’s more aggressive and harder to control than last year’s. But there’s performance in it, even if we’re not yet at the level of McLaren or Red Bull on their best days.”

A few races ago, Leclerc mentioned he made a personal breakthrough in how he sets up his car for 2025.

“I won’t go into full detail, but the setup makes the car very sensitive and tricky to handle, especially in qualifying. But that’s something I’ve always enjoyed in my career.”

“This year we’re using some very aggressive setups to get the most out of the car. That means I’ve had to seriously change my driving style to match what the car needs.”