Ferrari dealing with new ‘tension’ behind the scenes involving Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc

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Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will be torn between hoping for a late turnaround to the 2025 Formula 1 season and simply skipping ahead to next year.

The constructors’ championship has already been won by McLaren, and with six races to go, Lewis Hamilton is officially out of contention to win an eighth individual title.

Charles Leclerc is still mathematically in with a chance of winning his first championship ahead of the United States Grand Prix, although it’s hard to see him overturn Oscar Piastri’s 163-point lead.

It’s been a seriously disappointing campaign for Ferrari, with team principal Fred Vasseur searching for answers as to why his outfit have been so uncompetitive.

Ride height issues have plagued the team all year, with Hamilton and Leclerc constantly told to ‘lift and coast’ during races.

Hamilton has been trying to help Ferrari behind the scenes, using the expertise he’s gained from his time at Mercedes, where he won six drivers’ championships and eight consecutive team titles.

However, journalist Peter Hardenacke has suggested that Hamilton’s suggestions haven’t always gone down well with Leclerc, who has far more experience as a Ferrari driver under his belt.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

‘Impatience is growing’ between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc behind the scenes at Ferrari

Hardenacke was speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast ahead of the United States Grand Prix.

When discussing what’s happening at Ferrari with Ralf Schumacher and Timo Glock, he said: “Well, that’s kind of how I feel too, that impatience is growing.

“John Elkann, who apparently called another meeting, whether it was a crisis meeting or not. You don’t know. Obviously, they want to continue working with Fred Vasseur as team principal, but you also get the feeling that there’s tension between the drivers throughout the season, apart from Leclerc, who sometimes made slightly disparaging comments about what Hamilton allegedly does in documents giving the teams recommendations on how to develop the car.

“He says he does things differently, but everyone can do what they want. So, you get the feeling that there’s a lot going on behind the scenes.”

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

Timo Glock delivers his verdict on Lewis Hamilton’s first season at Ferrari

Glock and Hamilton’s F1 careers are forever intertwined after the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix.

The German’s F1 career came to an end in 2012 while racing for Marussia, as Hamilton prepared to dominate the upcoming era of the sport.

Reflecting on Hamilton’s first campaign with Ferrari, Glock said: “Yes, well, basically, what’s happening at Ferrari is a real drama, of course, when you see how much money they’ve spent, leaving no stone unturned to get Lewis Hamilton on board.

“He’s now someone who just walks around with his head down and can’t seem to get a clean pair.

“At the beginning of the year, I said that I was sure Lewis Hamilton would be on a par with Charles Leclerc by the middle of the year, but he’s just finding it incredibly difficult.

“You’ve had the feeling over the last few races that he’s taking a step in the right direction, but basically his performance isn’t where you want it to be and where you want to be.

“And you can see that in Lewis Hamilton, of course, and I’m curious to see how long he’ll put up with it in the end.”

Hamilton controls a clause in his contract that could see him stay at Ferrari until the end of 2027, but whether he’ll want to continue beyond next year might depend on how competitive the Scuderia are.

What will be even more interesting is if Ferrari are near the front of the grid, and whether Leclerc or Hamilton comes out on top in their intra-team battle.