Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc team gives a strong warning as worries about favouritism increase
Ferrari has received a clear warning from Charles Leclerc’s team as worries grow about the team possibly favoring seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton joined Ferrari at the start of the 2025 season and scored 156 points, finishing sixth in the World Drivers’ Championship (WDC), just one spot and 86 points behind his teammate Leclerc.
But Hamilton has bounced back in what he calls an “above average” season. Heading into the summer break, he sits second in the WDC, two places and 31 points ahead of Leclerc.
This has caused concern for Leclerc’s support team. His mental coach, Riccardo Ceccarelli, said that putting Hamilton first could upset the team’s balance.
He told MotorSport.com: “That would basically tell Charles he has to step back because Hamilton is number one. For someone like Leclerc, that would be a big hit to his confidence, especially since the championship isn’t decided yet and there’s no real need for that now.”
Hamilton is currently 50 points behind the leader Kimi Antonelli, who replaced him at Mercedes, while Leclerc is 81 points behind.
Maybe Ferrari’s main goal should be the Constructors’ Championship, where they sit just 72 points behind Mercedes.
Ceccarelli suggested Ferrari focus on the team title instead, warning that team orders might upset things inside and not give them the edge they need to close the big 50-point gap.
He added: “If Ferrari sets a clear hierarchy now, it could risk the team’s harmony. You only find out later if that was the right call, because titles often come down to just a few points.”
Despite this, Ferrari has faced criticism after the recent Hungarian Grand Prix for not using team orders. Former driver Jolyon Palmer said, “Ferrari had a chance to act in Budapest when Hamilton got a five-second penalty. They could have told Leclerc to slow down and protect Hamilton’s fourth place, but they didn’t.”
This shows a different view from Ceccarelli’s, as Palmer thinks the team should support the more experienced driver in a title fight.
However, Hamilton recently told PlanetF1 he’s focusing on each race as it comes, not on the championship. “I’m just trying to make the most of every weekend. I’m honestly not thinking about future races right now.”
Even with better form this season, Hamilton has only won one race since joining Ferrari, adding to his 106 career wins.