Damon Hill says Lewis Hamilton can fix crucial Ferrari ‘problem’ Charles Leclerc might be incapable of solving

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Ferrari didn’t just sign Lewis Hamilton because of his peerless track record in Formula 1. Fred Vasseur knew he was acquiring a potentially transformative leader.

Charles Leclerc is without doubt one of the fastest drivers of his generation. But he lacks the same presence as a driver like Hamilton, who’s been in the sport since 2007 and won over 100 Grands Prix.

Ferrari are the oldest team on the grid, the only squad to pass 1,000 races. They have won a record 31 championships, but they also have a reputation for being set in their ways.

That may be part of the reason why they haven’t won a title since 2007. The big question when they recruited Hamilton, then, was how much influence they were willing to give him.

Lewis Hamilton’s experience at Mercedes can invigorate Ferrari’s development – Damon Hill

Leclerc has unquestionably been the better Ferrari driver this season. While Hamilton has improved lately, the Monegasque still leads 18-8 in competitive sessions.

But there’s an argument that Vasseur should prioritise Hamilton’s feedback going forward. As Damon Hill explained on Sky Sports’ F1 Show this week, he brings a precious new perspective.

Leclerc, a graduate of the Ferrari driver academy, spent one year at Sauber but has been with the Scuderia since 2019. By contrast, Hamilton is coming off 12 seasons with Mercedes.

Hamilton has explained this season that Leclerc naturally views Ferrari’s more radical handling characteristics as normal. But he can potentially point the team in a more productive direction based on what he experienced at Brackley.

“There’s so much to learn about a new team,” Hill said. “When you’ve been somewhere for what, 11 seasons was it with Mercedes [sic], and you go somewhere else, there’s a lot to learn.

“If you just talk about people, knowing who the people are, the language, all those other factors. He’s got a lot to work on.

“I do think that they’ve got a chance of doing something with Lewis when I don’t think they would have a chance of developing with Charles, because Charles has never been anywhere else.

“That’s the problem. Going from one team to another, it takes a few years.”

What Charles Leclerc’s coach is now telling Ferrari about Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton won six world championships at Mercedes as part of the most decorated driver/team combination ever. His Ferrari deal will see him become just the second racer to reach 400 F1 starts after Fernando Alonso.

To back up Hill’s point, Hamilton is pushing Ferrari towards a ‘less extreme’ philosophy for 2026. This will benefit both drivers by making their car more compliant, provided the engineers listen, of course.

One of his biggest allies is Jock Clear, who previously worked with him at Mercedes. He’s now a driver coach for Leclerc, part of his duties as a performance engineer.

Simon Lazenby says Clear has praised Hamilton’s ‘amazing’ feedback and pushed Ferrari to listen to him. He’s won the title within two years at both of his previous teams.