The Scuderia faces one of the most delicate choices of its season: letting Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc race freely at the risk of missing a title opportunity, or starting to favor the Briton at the risk of weakening the balance of its duo.
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Ferrari is reaching a point in the season where it will become difficult to continue managing the ambitions of its two drivers.
Hamilton remains fully engaged in the fight for the world title, while Leclerc’s chances are seriously dwindling. Yet, the Scuderia still refuses to establish a true hierarchy.
A decision must be made
This caution could end up being costly: if the team really wants to challenge Mercedes and Kimi Antonelli, it must now start prioritizing Hamilton. The Briton currently holds second place in the championship, tied with George Russell and 59 points behind Antonelli. Leclerc is fifth and already 87 points behind the leader.
Mathematically, nothing is obviously over for the Monegasque. But at this stage of the season, Hamilton clearly represents Ferrari’s best chance in the drivers’ championship.
Rob Smedley, who worked at Maranello between 2004 and 2014, therefore believes Ferrari must start making decisions accordingly: “They all work for Ferrari. Lewis has had the better run. That’s how it is this year”, he explained to High Performance Racing.
For the former engineer, favoring Hamilton would not mean permanently turning Leclerc into the number two driver. It would simply be recognizing the current sporting situation and maximizing the title chances of the best-placed driver. Ferrari has not yet taken this step.
A costly indecision
At Zandvoort, Hamilton notably came back on Leclerc with fresher tires. The Scuderia could have asked the Monegasque to let his teammate pass so that he could immediately chase George Russell. They preferred to let their drivers race, costing Hamilton precious seconds and any hope of a podium.
The question had already arisen in Hungary. Leclerc eventually regained fourth place at Hamilton’s expense after the Briton received a five-second penalty. Again, Ferrari chose not to intervene in favor of the driver better placed in the championship.
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For Smedley, waiting for such situations to resolve themselves naturally is no longer enough: “Indecision and waiting for the situation to resolve itself to avoid making a decision will not work.”
The Monza development could change everything
Ferrari could still justify this approach in recent weeks. The constructors’ championship was a major objective and the team needed to let its two drivers maximize their results.
But now, 87 points behind Mercedes and with McLaren back in the game, the situation is evolving. Especially, Ferrari expects a significant upgrade to its power unit at Monza that could reduce part of its performance deficit.
If this upgrade indeed allows the SF-26 to get closer to Mercedes, Hamilton’s chances could quickly become much more serious. Frédéric Vasseur would then face a delicate decision. Continuing to let his drivers fight freely could cost Hamilton valuable points, while every point will count in his attempt to catch Antonelli.
For Smedley, Ferrari must now ensure “that Lewis wins” and systematically maximize his result when a strategic decision between the two drivers can help.
Sacrificing Leclerc also carries risks
The situation remains much more complex than simply designating a number one. Asking Leclerc occasionally to let Hamilton pass when their strategies differ is one thing. Asking him to systematically sacrifice his own results is another.
Ferrari must also think beyond 2026. Favoring Hamilton for a few races because he has a real chance to become champion can be defended sportingly. Turning Leclerc into a lieutenant while he still has a mathematical chance would be much harder to accept.
Everything will probably depend on the next races. If Hamilton continues to reduce his gap and Leclerc falls further behind, Ferrari will have fewer and fewer reasons to maintain absolute equality between its drivers. The Scuderia thus faces one of the most delicate choices of its season: letting Hamilton and Leclerc race freely at the risk of missing a title opportunity, or starting to favor the Briton at the risk of weakening the balance of its duo. And if the SF-26 really takes a new step forward at Monza, Frédéric Vasseur may soon no longer have the luxury of postponing this decision.
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