The Maranello team seems to be giving Charles Leclerc a certain degree of preference, not necessarily by choice but because the engineers and strategists have greater confidence in him. Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, is not yet receiving the same level of support from Ferrari, for a simple reason that explains several of the team’s recent decisions.

Throughout the season, the internal rivalry between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton has undoubtedly helped the Scuderia grow, both in understanding the SF-25 and in improving overall performance. The Monegasque driver started the year with an advantage, being already deeply integrated within the team and used to Ferrari’s procedures, which have been established for years. The seven-time world champion, by contrast, had to undergo a long adaptation period, including building chemistry with his new race engineer, Riccardo Adami. Now, the two drivers show similar pace, with much smaller gaps than in the early races. Yet, some still believe that Ferrari does not fully trust Lewis Hamilton when it comes to “going on the attack.”

These opinions were discussed by Giorgio Terruzzi, Stefano Nicoli, and Pino Allievi during the podcast Terruzzi Racconta.

Allievi: “Hamilton took 20 races to really do something.”

Terruzzi: “They trust Leclerc more, and rightly so, when it’s time to go hunting.”

Nicoli: “I can’t say you’re wrong, but in my opinion, for reasons of trust, they would have kept him ahead [in Mexico, editor’s note]. Lewis Hamilton, with the season practically wrapped up in many respects, performed well this weekend. Recently, he said that the 2026 car will reflect a different way of seeing things. So, I’ll hold my judgment out of respect for his career achievements. I’ll skip over Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 season and wait to see what happens in 2026.”

Allievi: “Let’s sum it up: Lewis Hamilton needed 20 races to do something meaningful with Ferrari.”

There’s no denying that Lewis Hamilton has taken a long time to become genuinely competitive with the Maranello outfit. The fact that he still hasn’t reached the podium—and has even surpassed Didier Pironi’s record of 18 races without a top-three finish—is not exactly an encouraging statistic. Charles Leclerc continues to be the faster driver, and whenever Ferrari needs to secure a result, the team naturally relies on him.

It should also be noted that Lewis Hamilton has never been particularly comfortable with ground-effect cars, which have defined this generation of Formula 1 machinery. The return of flat floors in 2026 could work in his favor, but that season will also be the true test of whether his technical input during development has made a meaningful difference for Ferrari’s future.