Lewis Hamilton vs Charles Leclerc: Did ‘feisty’ battle at Chinese language Grand Prix ignite Ferrari rivalry in 2026 F1 season?

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc delivered an exhilarating battle for the rostrum on the Chinese language Grand Prix, which the seven-time world champion referred to as the “best racing I’ve ever experienced in Formula 1”.

Hamilton and Leclerc demonstrated the very best of F1’s new laws with a number of overtakes and re-overtakes across the Shanghai Worldwide Circuit on Sunday, having additionally received shut in Saturday’s Dash too.

The pair remarkably solely made minor contact as soon as, or a “kiss” in line with Hamilton, who got here out on high to assert his first podium as a Ferrari driver.

“It felt like go-karting, back and forth, back and forth, and you could really position your car in a nice way where there was a thin piece of paper between us sometimes,” mentioned Hamilton.

“But we didn’t exchange any paint. I think that’s down to great drivers and respect.”

George Russell had a entrance row seat for a lot of the battle, earlier than discovering a well beyond the Ferrari duo, and was amazed by how arduous the racing was.

“I was just waiting for the two of them to collide and somehow they didn’t. It was some of the most aggressive racing I’ve seen for a while,” he mentioned.

“If I wasn’t trying to win the race, I’d have been enjoying the battle, but obviously watching Kimi [Antonelli] pull away during those points it was a little bit annoying.”

Villeneuve questions if Ferrari preventing will price them vs Mercedes

It was Leclerc who began the on-track battling on Sunday simply earlier than half distance of the 56-lap Chinese language Grand Prix with each Ferraris in podium positions and Russell in fourth.

Though the Ferrari struggle was thrilling, the pair weren’t driving in an optimum means and Russell was capable of get by when he had appeared caught.

Sky Sports activities F1‘s Jacques Villeneuve thinks Hamilton and Leclerc each need to be “the man” at Ferrari, even when it means shedding time to their rivals by battling.

“Lewis is feisty and fighting. He was quite cool, minding his own business, not letting Antonelli get away too far,” mentioned the 1997 F1 world champion

“But then Leclerc decided not to play the team game and played the Leclerc game, caught him by surprise, but he should have seen it coming. The same thing happened in the Sprint.

“It turned out OK but it surely was a bit of bit excessive and destroyed Ferrari’s race. They had been working second and third, preventing so arduous, destroying their tyres.

“At some point, if you keep taking lap time away from each other, it allows Mercedes to get away and they are not that far from Mercedes with a car that can race. Mercedes should worry a little bit about Ferrari coming back because they are not that far behind in points.”

Ferrari staff principal Frederic Vasseur says he “trusts” his drivers and it will have been “unfair” to name the battle off.

“I have a huge respect for both of them. They are professional and I think it makes sense in this situation to let them race,” he mentioned.

“I know perfectly that it can also look completely stupid half an hour later, but at the end of the day I think it’s also the best way to build up a team. We need to have this kind of emulation into the team to improve.

“So long as it is accomplished prefer it was accomplished in China, even a few occasions within the radio they instructed us that they’d good enjoyable, I do not need to freeze the place.”

Will Ferrari have downside of two evenly matches drivers?

Final 12 months, Leclerc was clearly faster than Hamilton for a lot of the season so Ferrari not often had the issue of their drivers scrapping for a similar piece of monitor.

The opening two races this 12 months have proven Leclerc and Hamilton are far more evenly matched, so the staff could have to step in if the drivers go over the restrict, or face the awkwardness of a collision – one thing F1 historical past exhibits is an inevitability when team-mates are commonly preventing.

There was maybe extra eagerness in China between the Ferrari pair to be forward of each other figuring out there was a excessive probability of a Security Automotive.

Earlier within the race, Leclerc needed to stack behind Hamilton within the pit stops when most drivers pitted after Lance Stroll induced a Security Automotive when he got here to a halt.

The elevated unreliability of the 2026 automobiles means drivers could all of a sudden pull over to the facet of the monitor, due to this fact rising the opportunity of a Security Automotive or Digital Security Automotive, the place drivers could get a less expensive pit cease.

On the Miami Grand Prix, on one of many few events final 12 months when the Ferraris had been battling, the staff had been sluggish to deploy staff orders when Hamilton appeared quicker and was caught behind Leclerc.

The British driver acknowledged “have a tea break while you’re at it” on the staff radio throughout one of many heated exchanges along with his engineer Riccardo Adami.

However, Hamilton has gave the impression to be a lot happier along with his new race engineer Carlo Santi, who has been appointed on an interim foundation.

“I think I came into the season with the confidence that I used to have, and I think I’ve stuck at it,” mentioned Hamilton.

“It’s the hardest thing just to get a podium compared to a lot through my career and it was the biggest challenge to get that, and I just had to bide my time. I think coming into the season I really cultivated that really positive mental attitude and I’m taking that forward with me.”

If Hamilton continues his sturdy begin to 2026, he shall be assured of a spectacular first victory in pink. Nonetheless, a quick Hamilton will give Ferrari a headache, albeit a pleasant one, as their two drivers will certainly find yourself battling extra – but it surely can’t be to the detriment of shedding out to Mercedes.

Formulation 1 subsequent heads to the long-lasting Suzuka Circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix on March 27-29 reside on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime