Charles Leclerc offers Ferrari a ‘natural’ ability that Lewis Hamilton has struggled to copy in 2025

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The battle between the two Ferrari drivers was one of the most anticipated of the season, with Lewis Hamilton joining the Scuderia alongside Charles Leclerc.

It has been a one-sided affair so far with Leclerc outclassing Hamilton in both qualifying and the races, while the seven-time world champion has yet to finish on the podium.

Ferrari are dealing with a problem in the races that is impacting Hamilton, with the seven-time world champion being told he must lift and coast to help prevent excessive plank wear.

F1 teams run their cars low to exploit the downforce generated by their floors, but Ferrari are suspected to have a problem with this after both cars were disqualified in China. While the team have taken steps to mitigate it, Leclerc lost the Hungarian GP because of this, and Hamilton also struggled to progress into the points.

Leclerc has more experience than Hamilton at Ferrari, but the Monegasque also has one unique ability that he has been able to exploit in the latest ruleset, according to journalist Edd Straw in the Driving Style Secrets podcast.

Charles Leclerc offers a ‘natural’ ability to adapt driving style

One of the key areas Hamilton has struggled with in the current ground effect cars is braking, particularly the corner entry phase.

Discussing one of the things that makes Leclerc’s driving style efficient, Straw notes that the Monegasque made a slight adjustment when the new regulations came into effect in 2022.

“What’s really interesting with Leclerc is his braking, and we saw an example of this when the new regs came in in 2022. In testing, he was very quick in terms of adapting his braking style and braking approach to the demands of the new cars,” said Straw.

“It said a lot about his natural talent and the amount of subconscious processing. That was a great example. He identified it, adapted, and changed his braking style.

“It took Sainz a long time to follow it, even though he could see what Leclerc was doing. But I think the fact that he was able to intuit and slightly modify his braking style, he wouldn’t be able to explain it, but it’s a sign of natural talent.”

Lewis Hamilton lacks ability to adapt at 40 years old

While there is no doubt that Hamilton still has the speed and the ability to compete in Formula 1 at 40 years old, the issue for him is adapting.

Although he’s won titles in different engine eras and with three different car concepts, they have been cars that generate the majority of their downforce from wings rather than through the floor.

This requires a specific driving technique to exploit, similar to the blown diffusers that Hamilton struggled with, but Sebastian Vettel was able to conquer in 2011.

The 2026 F1 regulations will offer a reset for Hamilton and should enable him to rediscover the driving traits that made him great, although he will face tough competition against Leclerc if the current trends are anything to go by this season.