Charles Leclerc has opened up about life inside the Ferrari garage alongside Lewis Hamilton, revealing that he has finally identified the key ingredient behind the Briton’s record-breaking Formula 1 career – together with probably his biggest weakness across his Formula One career.
For Leclerc, Hamilton’s high-profile move from Mercedes to Maranello was more than just a massive transfer; it was a rare opportunity to observe a legend in his natural habitat. After months of close-quarters observation, the Monegasque driver believes Hamilton’s secret isn’t a “magic lap” or a specific racing trick, but rather the relentless precision of his entire professional approach.
Since Hamilton’s arrival, Leclerc has been conducting a quiet, deep-dive analysis of his teammate’s methods. While Ferrari continues its quest for a first title since 2008, Leclerc has been scrutinizing the seven-time champion’s preparation from the moment he walks into the paddock.
The “Hamilton method” uncovered by Leclerc
“Since the day Lewis arrived in the team, for me, it was a huge opportunity to learn from him,” Leclerc told Sky F1. “I analyzed every single thing he does as a preparation, all the way to when he jumps into the car.”
Leclerc noted that while driving techniques vary from corner to corner and track to track, the “Hamilton Method” remains constant. “The approach is what made him have all the success that he’s had in the past,” he added.
Despite the massive shadow cast by Hamilton’s legacy, Leclerc has been far from an apprentice on the scoreboard. Throughout 2025 and into the start of the 2026 season, Leclerc has consistently outscored his veteran teammate.
Currently, Leclerc sits third in the Drivers’ Championship—41 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli—yet his performance has not dampened his respect for Hamilton’s discipline.
Leclerc’s singular approach
Leclerc’s focus remains singular: ending Ferrari’s title drought. For the 27-year-old, the emotional bond with the Scuderia predates even his professional career.
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The Dream: Winning a world championship in a red car.
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The Motivation: Repaying the team that has been his life’s focus.
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The Reality: Balancing his own title hunt while absorbing lessons from the sport’s most successful driver.
“Driving for Ferrari is very special, but I would love to be winning a world championship with Ferrari,” Leclerc confirmed. “That’s what I’ve been working on since the first day I arrived here.”
The root of Hamilton’s struggles
Yet there is one aspect of Hamilton’s F1 preparation which sets him apart from most other drivers on the grid. Lewis, along with Fernando Alonso, started his junior racing career when team computers were little better in terms of graphics than a block styled graphic of a Space Invaders game.
This was reflected in the simulator experience the drivers endured. In the past, graphics were not realistic, the handling of the cars was poorly reflected, and for Hamilton—who suffered from motion sickness—the simulator was somewhere he preferred not to be.
During his epic battle with Max Verstappen for the championship in 2021, Hamilton explained to Sky F1: “I hardly ever drive on the simulator. I maybe do 20 laps a year. I have no interest in the simulator. I used to walk the track when I was younger, but I discovered that for me, it was a pointless exercise. What I found was that it was just wasting energy; my weekend is all about maintaining energy so I can do the job.”
Upon his arrival at Ferrari, Fred Vasseur—who worked with Lewis during his junior days—implored the seven-time champion to give the modern Ferrari simulator a try. The technology is light years ahead of what it was, and the Scuderia team boss was determined to leave no stone unturned to unlock the speed Hamilton appeared to have lost.
Hamilton to bin the Ferrari simulator
Exactly how much time Lewis has spent in the Ferrari simulator is unknown, but he had clearly been persuaded to use it at length prior to the Miami Grand Prix. The team had brought an unprecedented number of upgrades to Florida, following an enforced five-week break in the F1 calendar.
However, after another mediocre weekend where he trailed his teammate (before Leclerc received a post-race penalty dropping him to eighth), the British driver was clearly irritated. He revealed in the press conference:
“I’m going to have a different approach in the next race. Because the way we’re preparing at the moment is not helping. Ultimately, it’s always a matter of correlation. We go on the simulator, and then get to the track and the car feels different. I don’t like simulators in general, but I’ve been at the simulator every week in the build-up to this race.”
Lewis going back to “instinct”
Hamilton re-emphasized his disappointment with the tool’s effectiveness: “You get the car set up to a certain place—and then you come to the track and that set-up doesn’t work.” He noted that one of his better weekends was in China this season, where he had no time to use the simulator at all.
“In an ideal world, I should have started where Charles was at the beginning of the weekend [in Miami]. So I’m not going to go on the simulator between now and the next race in Canada. I’ll still hold meetings at the factory, but I’m just going to back away from the sim for a bit and see.”
Hamilton, like Alonso, remains “old school.” While younger drivers grew up on sim racing as a hobby, Hamilton’s distaste for the virtual world is a career-long trait. Whether it has negatively affected his career is impossible to quantify, but for now, he is going back to his instincts: working it out only once he arrives in Montreal.
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A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
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