Lewis Hamilton extensively praised his teammate Charles Leclerc. However, the seven-time champion also explained how he plans to manage to overcome him in the 2026 Formula 1 season.
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The Briton’s first year wearing Ferrari colors was not as expected and compared to his Monegasque colleague, he finished 86 points behind in the standings – Lewis did not reach the podium while Charles stood on it seven times.
So, when asked by Corriere della Sera how he plans to recover this season, Hamilton chose to shift the focus to the team as a whole, in addition to praising Leclerc in Formula 1.
“I don’t see it that way. Ferrari is a single entity: in Italy and other countries, people follow it like a religion and love it like the Pope. My goal is not to divide the fans — we both want to win, of course, and naturally I would like it to be me, and that is what I am working for. But the team comes first,” he said.
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“Charles is a phenomenal driver because of the way he drives and his work ethic, and he has been here for eight years. But I am approaching this championship in a different way,” he continued.
“For the last 14 months, I have been working on the 2026 car, both in the simulator and with the engineers. Unlike the previous one, which I found already designed and in which I could change very little, this car carries a bit of my DNA — and that excites me a lot,” he concluded.
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