Otmar Szafnauer tells Ferrari to 'leave Charles Leclerc alone' amid Lewis Hamilton battle
Otmar Szafnauer has urged Ferrari to leave Charles Leclerc alone rather than intervene with a formal mid-season discussion
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Photo by: Sona Maleterova / Getty Images
Former Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has advised Ferrari management against calling Charles Leclerc in for a formal mid-season sit-down, insisting the Maranello outfit should "leave him alone" as he works through a challenging period alongside Lewis Hamilton.
Speaking on the High Performance Racing podcast alongside former Ferrari race engineer Rob Smedley and host Jake Humphrey, Szafnauer offered his insights during a mid-season review of the 2026 championship.
Ferrari entered the mid-season break sitting second in the constructors' standings on 307 points, trailing leader Mercedes by 72 points.
Hamilton sits second in the drivers' standings with 169 points after securing his first grand prix victory with the team at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix and four podium finishes. Meanwhile, Leclerc is fourth in the standings with 138 points after securing a win at the British Grand Prix, three podium finishes, and two retirements in Monaco and Spain.
When Humphrey asked how a team principal should conduct a mid-season conversation to address Leclerc's form, Szafnauer strongly rejected the idea of an intervention.
"No," Szafnauer said. "Leave him alone. I would not have a conversation, but be supportive.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
"Lewis at the beginning of the year, and I'm not speaking from facts, just the feeling I get, was a little bit more ahead of Leclerc than he is now," Szafnauer explained. "I think Charles has stepped it up in the last two a little bit towards Lewis."
Smedley echoed those sentiments, noting that facing an intra-team deficit was a rare experience for the Monegasque driver.
"I think this is the first time in a long time with Charles where his team-mate has had a significant upper hand," Smedley explained.
"Charles wasn't happy with the car. I know that they changed components around the braking system, types of material and stuff like that, but it felt like he was just slightly lost for a driver of his experience and how good he is."
Share Or Save This Story
Kimi Antonelli's Spanish GP win will still "sting", says James Hinchcliffe
Who is racing Max Verstappen in "Max vs 100"? Entry list revealed
Guenther Steiner criticises Lando Norris's Coca-Cola Spanish GP moment as 'unprofessional'
Charles Leclerc: Madrid qualifying to be "one of the most challenging" in F1 2026
F1 Spanish GP at Madring: Saturday schedule, weather forecast and how to watch
Why Monza remains F1's eternal test of team bonds
Why Ferrari won't switch focus to 2027 F1 car yet
Lewis Hamilton “lucky to make it round” after Spanish GP brake failure
Lewis Hamilton and Fred Vasseur recall GP2 title and 'most impressive race ever', 20 years on
Max Verstappen takes just 14 laps to overtake 100 amateur karters in manic event
Hendrick to bring back iconic neon yellow car numbers for 2027
NASCAR changes wet-weather tire policy for Bristol to give teams more control
Max Verstappen beats the 100 in blistering time as it happened
F1 doesn't need to change its VSC rules despite Lando Norris' Spain loss
Why Lando Norris doesn’t buy George Russell’s driving style theory
How Kimi Antonelli is proving unbeatable, even when he's beaten
How Norris unfurled a surprising - and "unrepeatable" - Spanish GP pole lap
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments