'They won't be going for dinner together' - Ferrari driver relationship update revealed

Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, China, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Ferrari

'They won't be going for dinner together' - Ferrari driver relationship update revealed

Do Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc get on?

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 22 June 2026 11:55

British F1 legend David Coulthard has issued an update on the relationship of Ferrari team-mates Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

The two drivers have been team-mates since January 2025, and are both trying to prove to their team that they can be the next Ferrari championship challenger.

Hamilton struggled in 2025, with Leclerc finishing 86 points ahead of him, as the seven-time world champion failed to secure even one grand prix podium.

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But the new regulations in 2026 have seemingly seen a switch in the fortunes of both drivers. Hamilton has picked up three grand prix podiums and a first Ferrari grand prix win across the first seven race weekends of the season, and is up in second in the drivers' championship.

What's more, he is also 40 points ahead of Leclerc, who has suffered three session-ending crashes in the last two race weekends.

Hamilton seems to have got the Ferrari team on side in a way that Leclerc previously did in 2019 and 2022, and it's looking as though the Brit could mount a real challenge for the title.

Hamilton is just 41 points behind Mercedes' championship leader Kimi Antonelli with George Russell a further nine points back.

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Do Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc get on?

Hamilton and Leclerc have been known to play virtual chess together, with Hamilton revealing when they first became team-mates how much he enjoys Leclerc's company, even late at night on online chess.

There's no doubt that there is more pressure on the pair's relationship now that Ferrari are able to challenge for race wins, but they still celebrate each other's successes, and are regularly seen joking around together on Ferrari's social media pages.

However, Coulthard believes that they will not be too pally with one another, particularly as the fight to become Ferrari's main title challenger heats up.

"It feels to me there's absolute respect between the two of them," Coulthard told the Up to Speed podcast. "They're in two different phases of their life.

"Let's say it's all new and exciting for Charles but I doubt very much that they're going for social dinners together or booking their summer holidays together."

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Charles Leclerc David Coulthard