Charles Leclerc notes big Ferrari change due to Lewis Hamilton

Charles Leclerc has noticed a change within Ferrari since Lewis Hamilton’s arrival.

The superstar signing of Hamilton hasn’t yet provided Ferrari with the blockbuster results they will have hoped for.

Even Leclerc has struggled with the SF-25 this season which has lagged behind the McLarens, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ George Russell.

But Leclerc has noted a behind-the-scenes change in Ferrari’s ways of working caused by his new teammate.

“That’s why it’s so interesting having Lewis join the team, coming from Mercedes,” Leclerc told Sky Sports.

“It’s a very different way of working, compared to Ferrari.

“It doesn’t mean we will necessarily take everything out of it, but there are things that open our minds, in the way we were.

“Lewis arrived and gave his advice, his view, on certain situations.

“We have different approaches but that’s the same for everyone in the paddock. It was interesting.”

'Mixed emotion' for Charles Leclerc when Lewis Hamilton won

Ferrari’s standout moment in F1 2025 so far has been Hamilton’s sprint race victory at the Chinese Grand Prix.

That was a rare moment in the spotlight in an otherwise underwhelming start to the campaign.

Leclerc concedes the difficulty of watching his big-name teammate strike the first meaningful blow.

“Mixed emotions yes of course,” he said about Hamilton’s sprint win in China.

“You are happy because you see the potential.

“The other part of you is not happy because you wish you did a better job to achieve the win.

“It’s part of racing. It motivated me to come back later in qualifying and find something in the car, to turn the situation around.”

Leclerc finished on the podium last weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the first time either Ferrari driver has managed the feat in a long Sunday race this year.

Hamilton’s feedback has been self-critical about his adaptation rather than complaining about the SF-25 itself.

Leclerc has explained the challenges of their car in the early rounds.

“We didn’t have the start of the season that we dreamt of, but we are slowly getting back to it,” he said.

“At the beginning of the year, it was a very open balance. Very tricky on corner entry, quite a mid of mid-corner understeer.

“We are starting to find solutions for the mid-corner understeer but it means we’ve got to drive with a trickier car.

“This is something I particularly like. In terms of balance, we are in the sweet spot of the car.

“What we are missing is grip at low and medium speed. At high speed, it’s not bad.”

A raft of floor upgrades were introduced by Ferrari in Bahrain, before rear wing updates were brought to Saudi Arabia.

Those tweaks delivered improved results but Ferrari are still short of where their expectation will be.