Riccardo Patrese: Charles Leclerc spirit down as Lewis Hamilton wins Ferrari hearts and minds
F1 OpinionThursday, 18 June 2026 at 16:50
Charles Leclerc may be questioning signing his future to Ferrari after seven seasons without a Formula 1 title challenge, Riccardo Patrese, believes Lewis Hamilton's arrival has exposed weaknesses in the Monegasque driver's approach.
Leclerc arrived at Ferrari carrying the hopes of the Scuderia and many expected him to become the team's long-awaited World Champion. Instead, despite flashes of brilliance and multiple race victories, the 28-year-old has yet to mount a sustained championship campaign.
Those frustrations may now be surfacing as Ferrari finally appears to have produced a car capable of consistently fighting at the front.
Speaking to BetBrothers, Patrese suggested Leclerc's comments after the Monaco Grand Prix raised concerns about his state of mind.
Six time Grand Prix winner, Patrese said: “If we go back to Monaco, in his interview after the race I was astonished because I couldn't understand what Charles Leclerc was talking about.
“He talked about a problem with the brakes and said Lewis Hamilton has already had three races using different brakes, and I have a problem with the brakes.”
Seven years without a title Formula 1 fight
With Hamilton claiming his first Ferrari victory at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix and the Scuderia emerging as a genuine championship contender, Patrese believes Leclerc may be reflecting on opportunities lost during his long Ferrari journey.
Patrese said: “He has been there for seven years, and I wonder if he is now having doubts. But if that is the case you have to make choices and if you don't go in the right direction, it can have a knock-on effect on the team.
“Inside his head I think he must also be a little unhappy because he has spent seven years there and never had really an opportunity to go for the championship.
“He has had good performance sometimes mixed with some mistakes because the car was not good enough to provide the win. So, he was overdriving and maybe you make a mistake if you drive in that kind of mood. For sure, he is living unsatisfied inside.”
Patrese also questioned some of Leclerc's technical decisions, particularly after the Ferrari driver publicly discussed running a different brake configuration from Hamilton: “But what I'm saying is that sometimes the feeling of the driver in terms of which direction you have to go is also very important."
Hamilton's experience could be the answer
"If you don't have this or maybe you make the wrong choice, as he declared openly with regard to a different setup of brakes compared with Lewis. His choices sometimes are not so good. If you don't make the right choice, then it's a loss of time and money," added Patrese.
Despite his criticism, Patrese insists Leclerc remains capable of challenging Hamilton if he resets mentally and embraces the opportunity Ferrari has finally given him.
The Italian believes Ferrari now possesses a race-winning package and that Leclerc should look more closely at what is working on the other side of the garage: “He doesn’t want to leave. He has just signed a new deal. I think he signed forever.
“I think that Charles Leclerc isn’t lost yet. He has a fantastic car, a leading car, a winning car, Lewis Hamilton and Charles. A great team. When Charles really gets back all his strength and mindset then he can be really a big opponent for Lewis. Probably from the speed point of view, he can be a little bit quicker than Lewis.”
At this moment Charles’s spirit is down
Patrese suggests Leclerc's immediate task is to regain confidence and learn from the seven-time World Champion's experience: “At this moment Charles’s spirit is down. But now he has to realise and appreciate that Ferrari has a car that can win Grand Prix and he must calm down.
“If he doesn’t feel happy about aspects of the car he should follow in the direction of Lewis. If you copy him, he will go quicker.”
Patrese even pointed to his own experience alongside a young Michael Schumacher at Benetton in 1993 as evidence that learning from a teammate can accelerate progress: “In 1993 Michael Schumacher, who was without doubt very quick.
"He was listening to what I was saying in the debrief about the setup of the car and he was copying my set-up. Then he was beating me. Sometimes you have to use the experience of your teammate to perform," explained Patrese.
With Ferrari's resurgence gathering momentum and Hamilton now off the mark in red, Patrese believes Leclerc faces a crucial decision. Continue searching for answers alone, or use the experience sitting in the neighbouring garage to unlock his own championship challenge.
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