Lewis Hamilton facing claims Charles Leclerc has become Ferrari’s lead driver

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton facing claims Charles Leclerc has become Ferrari’s lead driver

Lewis Hamilton was the star of the show at Mercedes

By Kerry Violet.

Monday 18 May 2026 19:00

Lewis Hamilton has received fresh criticism regarding his standing within Ferrari as the seven-time world champion continues the latter stages of his Formula 1 career with the Italian team.

The British driver stunned the paddock in 2024 when he confirmed he would leave Mercedes after 12 seasons to fulfill his long-held ambition of racing for Ferrari.

However, Hamilton’s first season alongside Charles Leclerc quickly showed that adapting to life at Ferrari would be far more difficult than many had expected.

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After a challenging weekend in Miami last time out, Hamilton currently sits fifth in the 2026 drivers' championship with 51 points, tied with reigning champion Lando Norris.

Leclerc on the other hand is still sitting comfortably in third with 59 points to his name, even after a 20-second time penalty was applied to his Miami Grand Prix result earlier this month, dropping him down to a P8 finish.

Meanwhile, the 41-year-old has continued to struggle with adjustment issues and technical challenges related to his front wing and simulator as the 2026 season progresses.

Piquet Jr. crowns Leclerc as undisputed Ferrari leader

Even though Hamilton finally broke his podium curse with Ferrari at the Chinese Grand Prix earlier this year (where Leclerc finished behind him in P4), former F1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr., has claimed the Brit has clearly slipped into a supporting role at his new team.

Despite the seven-time champion being one of the greatest talents the sport has even seen, the Brazilian believes Hamilton's team-mate is now the undisputed leader at the Scuderia.

Although team principal Fred Vasseur previously emphasised that both drivers have equal opportunities, Piquet Jr. claimed the Italian squad's internal hierarchy on track has already been set during a recent episode of the Pelas Pistas podcast.

The former Renault driver pointed out that Ferrari doesn't need to issue team orders—the speed difference speaks for itself.

"Are they equal? No," he explained. "Leclerc is the No.1 driver, while Hamilton is No.2. Right now, Hamilton finishes behind him in about 80 percent of the races." The son of three-time world champion Nelson Piquet sees Hamilton’s decline as no surprise.

"Hamilton has spent twenty years in Formula 1, and this is naturally the winding down of his career," the single F1 podium finisher added, noting that the current top-three contender consistently qualifies higher and performs better in races than his champion team-mate.

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Charles Leclerc Nelson Piquet Jr