Karun Chandhok spotted an unseen benefit for Charles Leclerc after Lewis Hamilton joined Ferrari

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Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Maranello drew a lot of attention during Ferrari’s pre-season preparations.

Despite the sub-optimal machinery at his fingertips, Charles Leclerc showcased his raw talent once again during the 2025 F1 season, often overachieving in the SF-25 and outdoing his new teammate in Lewis Hamilton.

Damon Hill thinks that Hamilton ‘overdid the workload’ during his maiden season at the iconic Italian racing outfit, which was evident through the results that came during the latter stages of his campaign.

Hamilton hinted at the behind-the-scenes work he was doing at Maranello earlier in the season, revealing that he had compiled documents with the pros and cons of the SF-25 in hopes of engineers finding a fix for them.

However, the burnout was evident during the latter stages of the season. The British driver rounded out the year with four consecutive Q1 exits when including his SQ1 exit at the Qatar Grand Prix.

Despite it hindering Hamilton’s performance at the team, Karun Chandhok believes that the extra commotion surrounding the seven-time world champion’s introduction to the fold at Ferrari may have actually benefited Leclerc instead.

• READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton now pushing for Ferrari ‘philosophy’ change that will greatly benefit Charles Leclerc

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Karun Chandhok details the unseen benefit Charles Leclerc had upon Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari

During the season review episode of The F1 Show, Chandhok was joined by Ted Kravitz, and the pair were asked for their opinion of the Monegasque’s efforts at Ferrari in 2025, and whether or not his talents have been overrated.

The pitlane reporter was the first to answer, saying, “He’s been brilliant this year, hasn’t he? We’ll do our rankings a bit later, but I think he’s made my top five.

“He’s been great; he’s ready to win a championship like Russell. Where is he going to go?

“Maybe if Aston Martin, with a Newey car and a Honda engine in a couple of years, does do well and doesn’t get Verstappen, then I would put him in there.”

Chandhok then gave his verdict, siding with Kravitz whilst also pinpointing the advantage that Leclerc received during the seven-time world champion’s honeymoon period at the Scuderia.

He said, “I don’t think Leclerc is overrated. I know there have been people in the past who have said he’s average and he is overrated, but I agree with Ted. I think he’s been outstanding this season.

“I think he’s also benefited a bit, hasn’t he, from being away from the attention, all that pre-season Lewis noise has allowed him… Jock Clear was saying to us in Melbourne, he’s just quietly gone about his business, prepared well, and just got on with it.”

• READ MORE: Charles Leclerc explains ‘extremely positive’ impact he thinks Lewis Hamilton will have at Ferrari

Charles Leclerc benefited from a number of decisions that Lewis Hamilton made during his first season at Ferrari

There’s no doubt that the 28-year-old was able to benefit from the vast experience he already had at the Prancing Horse to top Hamilton over the course of the 2025 F1 campaign.

Leclerc even said it himself when asked about the one-sided teammate battle that was occurring inside the Ferrari garages.

However, Hamilton’s ‘strong movement’ at Maranello also aided the Monegasque’s push up the F1 standings.

The Prancing Horse are well-known for their proud history, and it is no secret that vocal critics from within the team are shunned immediately.

Hamilton’s stature as a seven-time world champion and one of the most recognisable names in the sport gave him some extra breathing room at Maranello.

Still, both he and Leclerc came under fire from John Elkann for the public criticism after the Ferrari CEO told them to talk less and drive more.