Fred Vasseur believes that the internal battle between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton benefits Ferrari. Although the duel between the two was clearly decided in favor of Leclerc in 2025, the current season is quite evenly matched. Many experts now urge Ferrari to pick a favorite and go all out for the championship, but Vasseur thinks the team actually benefits from a bit of internal rivalry.
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Last year, Leclerc clearly had the upper hand within the Italian team. In qualifying, he was faster than his teammate nineteen times, while in races he finished ahead of his more experienced teammate twenty times. Ultimately, Leclerc collected 242 World Championship points, compared to 156 points for Hamilton, leaving little room for discussion. However, in 2026, the seven-time world champion has made a strong comeback. Both in qualifying and in races, it is quite even, except for a few retirements by Leclerc. At the time of the summer break, Hamilton has a lead of 31 World Championship points.
Ferrari benefits from the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc
In an interview with the French Auto Hebdo, team principal Frédéric Vasseur explained that this internal race between the two Ferrari drivers is beneficial for the team. “Part of the performance always comes from the comparison between the two drivers,” he said. “That happens with our team, as well as with McLaren and Mercedes. For Red Bull, that is to a lesser extent, but there are other reasons for that.” At Red Bull, Max Verstappen has been the absolute number one for years. This is often reflected in the results, so there is little discussion about which driver leads within the team.
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“Mercedes and McLaren are in the same situation as us in that regard: one week one is ahead and the next week it’s exactly the opposite,” said Vasseur. “That’s part of it.” The team principal emphasized that Ferrari – as long as both drivers put the team’s interests first – reaps the benefits of the rivalry. “They have to respect the team, just as we respect them; they have to behave properly. I see them working together and pushing each other to deliver better performances. That’s why we also make progress, because they give 110 percent every lap. Even in free practice, the most important thing for them is to finish ahead of their teammate.”
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