Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc reveal chess duel…in bed!

Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc Lewis Hamilton at the 2025 Australian GP — Photo: © IMAGO

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Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc reveal chess duel…in bed!

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc's chess rivalry continues

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 15 April 2025 22:57

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s chess rivalry has continued with such intensity that the Ferrari team-mates have revealed that they play from their separate beds in Monaco and London.

Hamilton and Leclerc's chess duels first became public knowledge after F1’s live launch prior to the start of the 2025 season. The new team-mates sat at Ferrari’s table, and instead of paying attention to the entertainment, they were locked into a game of chess on their phones.

However, it appears that it was not just one game to pass the time, and during a fan event at the Bahrain Grand Prix the pair revealed that they play quite frequently.

Article continues under video

Not only do they enjoy a game online against each other from time to time, the Ferrari pair also confirmed that it usually takes place in bed before they go to sleep at their respective homes.

Hamilton and Leclerc cheat at chess

On stage in front of a crowd of F1 fans, Hamilton searched for a funny story to tell those gathered as Leclerc confirmed their chess rivalry.

"Oh, the chess one? So we were in bed, not in the same bed, but he was in London, I was in Monaco and we were playing chess.

"And so the last game he wins, and so there's 4-4, and he doesn't want to go to sleep being 4-4 so he's like lets do another game," the Monegasque driver explained.

Hamilton then revealed how he could not go to bed on a draw, and it started to emerge just how committed the pair are when it comes to beating each other at chess.

"He's home, I'm on a flight to Japan. So I'm midair, somehow I've got internet, and I managed to play him," Hamilton continued.

"So we're playing this game, and so this next game, the moves that he's making are so good. I'm like, damn it. What is the next move? So then I think, well, maybe I'll go online and find some suggestions of what could be next.

"And so I found this website, and it started showing you, it'll predict what you should do next. So I started using it.

"I used it for one move, and then his moves were so good coming back, I just kept using it, and he goes, 'wait a second, are we both cheating?'

"And he had started using that app at the same time!”

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Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Charles Leclerc Bahrain Grand Prix