Ferrari F1 star given Italian media grilling after Hamilton trashing: 'He might have to give up'

Hamilton smirking as Leclerc looks annoyed in the background on F1 grid — Photo: © IMAGO

Ferrari

Ferrari F1 star given Italian media grilling after Hamilton trashing: 'He might have to give up'

Charles Leclerc had another miserable weekend in Barcelona

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Monday 15 June 2026 18:55

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While Lewis Hamilton was on cloud nine at the Barcelona Grand Prix it was a different story for his Ferrari F1 team-mate Charles Leclerc.

After crashing during qualifying and in the race at the Monaco Grand Prix, Leclerc once again found his Ferrari in the barriers the following weekend in Barcelona.

During his first flying lap in Q3, Leclerc lost control of his car trying to correct a snap as he entered Turn 4, instead finding himself in the barriers.

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The mistake left himself a mountain of work to do in the race, starting P10 on the grid and eventually recovering to sixth. As the race came to a close however, Leclerc was sent off into the gravel at Turn 2 due to a mechanical issue and was forced to retire.

It stood in stark contrast of fortunes to the other side of the Ferrari garage, where Lewis Hamilton celebrated his first win with the team and, likewise, Ferrari's first victory since the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix.

F1 HEADLINES: Lewis Hamilton hits out as FIA announce late Barcelona GP penalty

Leclerc's lament

The Barcelona Grand Prix weekend saw Leclerc change the brakes on his SF-26 from Brembo to the Carbon Industries brakes Hamilton favours.

But the change didn't convert into better results for Leclerc, and now he faces a new reality at Ferrari - one where Hamilton is transforming into an established team leader.

After his result in Barcelona, Italian publication Corriere della Sera delivered their verdict on Leclerc's performance and rated him a score of six.

They wrote: "After the explosive qualifying, climbing back up the order wasn't easy, but Charles tried with the right attitude: a passing grade, therefore, is fair.

"But it's not enough to square the accounts with fate: after the crash in Monte Carlo and the one on Saturday, in Barcelona comes the forced retirement due to the failure of the SF-26. Good things come in good stead, and bad luck comes naturally, as Albertone Tomba would say with his refrains. The trouble is that his teammate has been ahead of him lately: he might just have to give up..."

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Charles Leclerc