Ferrari’s “favorite” driver between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc amid talk of a “big split”
A new report from Italy highlights the big differences between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari.
Even though both drivers tried to stop rumors of a clash after a meeting with Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur in Brazil, Hamilton’s strong words earlier suggest the tension is still there.
The Italian report confirms that Ferrari seems to prefer one driver over the other and says both are “playing politics.”
The crash between Hamilton and Leclerc at the start of the Mexico GP, which cost them what looked like a 1-2 finish, showed just how upset Hamilton was. He was unhappy with Ferrari for not setting clearer rules, especially about how Leclerc raced him.
Hamilton told the team they had “big problems” over the radio. Now, Italian journalist Giorgio Terruzzi explained on his podcast how far apart the two drivers are. He said Hamilton is “playing politics” by pushing the issue, while Leclerc is also “playing politics” by staying quiet.
Terruzzi pointed out that Leclerc is seen as Ferrari’s favorite driver, often getting special treatment, even though he sometimes races on the edge. He said, “They’re both part of the same team but in very different situations. Leclerc is more pampered and liked, while Hamilton rubs some people the wrong way by trying to influence many team decisions. Hamilton feels he should be respected because of his seven world titles, while Leclerc wonders if Hamilton is there just to race or also to direct the team. This shows a deep split at Ferrari that hasn’t been solved.”
After their “peace talks” with Vasseur in Brazil, both drivers tried to calm things down. Hamilton sounded much more positive, saying, “Fred hasn’t exactly cleared the air between me and Charles, but we talked and put it behind us. We still respect each other a lot, and now we’re moving on. Sometimes it just takes a conversation. There have been no demands from either side, just sharing ideas on how to improve and support each other.”
Leclerc, who usually stays careful with his words, agreed, saying, “We needed to discuss any frustration left. Now I feel it’s fully settled, and we shouldn’t keep talking about this.”
It’s still uncertain if Vasseur can keep peace between Hamilton and Leclerc at Ferrari moving forward.