Lando Norris
McLaren
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari
Williams
Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Alpine
Ralf Schumacher believes Ferrari are working with the idea of a compromise between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have traded podiums to start the season, with Leclerc securing P3 in Melbourne and Hamilton doing the same in Shanghai.
Despite lagging behind Mercedes, Ferrari’s confidence has grown with each race, and there is a sense that the two drivers could find themselves in the championship mix down the line.
Fred Vasseur refuses to use team orders at Ferrari – Is he wrong?
Hamilton’s resurgence has been a boost for Ferrari, as they now have two elite, championship-level drivers that can vie for race wins regularly.
But this may have come at a cost for Leclerc, as Ralf Schumacher believes Hamilton’s arrival has somewhat deprioritised the Monegasque driver within Ferrari.
READ MORE: David Coulthard surprised by Ferrari decision during Lewis Hamilton’s Chinese GP ‘masterclass’
Ralf Schumacher expects Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to continue ‘exciting’ battle
Speaking in an interview with Formel1.de, Ralf Schumacher spoke about the success Lewis Hamilton is experiencing to start the season.
He noted that Ferrari have seen Hamilton thriving, and adjusted to make sure they’re not prioritising either him or Leclerc during their development process and in strategy.
“One thing is clear: Lewis Hamilton feels very comfortable with this car. He’s fast, and that’s crucial because now there’s no risk of developing the car solely for Charles Leclerc.”
“Instead, it’s a compromise between the two. I’m surprised. From the beginning, I said there were two possibilities. Either this could be Hamilton’s last season, or he could thrive under this new approach.”
“I’m happy for him, and things are different now. He’s enjoying himself more, as we saw in China. It was incredible how big his fanbase is…”
“A change in the regulations will benefit Charles Leclerc. For him, it felt like the old man was someone he had to have under his control.”
“Therefore, it will certainly be an exciting team battle. We got a good taste of it in China because I think that was okay, it was clear that nobody was giving anything away to anyone else.”
READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton told why he can’t get carried away with beating Charles Leclerc at the Chinese GP
Ralf Schumacher thinks Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are not ‘the best of friends’
Predict when the Ferrari drivers will crash with each other
Ralf Schumacher believes Charles Leclerc needs tweak in regulation to gain edge over Lewis Hamilton
Ralf Schumacher also spoke about why Lewis Hamilton has looked better than Charles Leclerc, and he believes Leclerc needs a tweak in the current regulations to get the edge over Hamilton.
“That depends quite a bit on how Formula 1 develops, especially if it starts developing more in the other direction, particularly with cornering speeds and later braking.”
“So, if the battery plays a different role, making it less dominant, which is what they’re working toward, then that could shift things in Leclerc’s favour.”
It was speculated that Hamilton is far more suited to the current regulations than Leclerc. But even with that said, the battle between the two has been very close.
Leclerc was thrilled with his battle with Hamilton in Shanghai. But as the season goes on and the competition between the two Ferrari drivers intensifies, things might get more tense between them.
Receive exclusive F1 news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
