No Drama with Lewis, But Ferrari’s Real Fight Is Pace

While team orders caused tension in Miami, Leclerc says the true issue is Ferrari’s inability to match rivals on raw speed.

Charles Leclerc has downplayed any tension with teammate Lewis Hamilton after a confusing team orders situation during the Miami Grand Prix, saying there’s “no resentment at all” between the two Ferrari drivers.

Late in the race, both Ferraris found themselves stuck in the midfield, Leclerc running on hard tires, Hamilton just behind on a softer, faster medium compound. With Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes ahead, Hamilton asked the team to let him through in a bid to chase him down.

Ferrari hesitated, taking several laps to make a call. The delay cost time, frustrating Hamilton, who later had to return the position to Leclerc after failing to make progress. The whole episode was made worse by unclear communications from the pit wall, leaving both drivers annoyed, especially Hamilton, who sarcastically asked whether he should also let Carlos Sainz’s Williams through.

Despite the mess, Leclerc made it clear after the race that he holds no grudge.

“Most of the time I say something, but this time I don’t think I need to. This will get plenty of attention on its own,” he said. “We simply need to do better. It wasn’t a good day, we didn’t maximize what we had, and that’s on us.”

Asked whether he considered letting Hamilton through without orders, Leclerc was candid: “Not really. I knew he was on mediums, which degrade faster. We both had to manage tires, so it wasn’t straightforward.”

Still, the Monegasque said he understands why Hamilton made the request, and admits he would’ve done the same.

“I totally get it. He wanted to try something different. I would’ve done the same in his position, trying to push on the mediums. There’s no bad blood between us, none at all.”

“He’s just doing what I’m doing, trying to get the most out of the car. But it’s frustrating, because there isn’t much more in it right now.”

Leclerc also suggested that Ferrari’s lack of planning before the race contributed to the confusion.

“We should’ve talked more beforehand. We’re all trying to make these tires last, and when you’re caught off guard like that, it complicates things. I didn’t expect Carlos [Sainz] to be so close either. All of that made the situation harder to handle.”

“But like I said, we need to learn from this and be better. The bigger issue, though, is pace.”

Ferrari lacked it in Miami. Both McLarens, both Mercedes, a Red Bull, and even a Williams finished ahead. For Leclerc, that’s the bigger concern.

“It’s frustrating fighting for eighth place and feeling like you’re stuck. I had no grip, nothing to work with. And yeah, there were radio issues, they don’t always reflect reality. Maybe this time they did, but usually it’s more complicated.”

Looking forward, Leclerc is confident he and Hamilton can work together to move Ferrari forward.

“I think we’re on the same page. This wasn’t the Sunday we wanted, and even if everything had gone perfectly, maybe we’d have beaten Kimi [Antonelli], but that’s about it.”

“There’s just not much more performance in the car right now. We lost one spot due to confusion, sure, but we’re still six or seven places off where we need to be. That’s the real issue, and that’s what we have to fix.”