Steiner says Leclerc must learn from Hamilton’s Ferrari approach

Steiner urges Leclerc to study Hamilton beyond the data

Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner believes Charles Leclerc must take more than technical lessons from Lewis Hamilton if he is to extract the maximum from Ferrari.

Speaking after Hamilton’s breakthrough victory for the Maranello outfit at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, Steiner argued that Leclerc should look beyond telemetry traces, set-up sheets and component choices. In his view, the decisive lesson lies in Hamilton’s assertiveness, conviction and ability to shape the team around what he needs.

Steiner told The Red Flags Podcast: “Charles is a very fast race car driver. Charles is also clever. He will jump on the bandwagon, on the Lewis Hamilton bandwagon, like we saw in Monte Carlo.”

He pointed to Leclerc’s reaction over Hamilton’s brake direction as evidence that the Monegasque is already paying close attention. “He said, ‘I want what Lewis had on his car, the brakes, I need to go in that direction.’ It gave him the confidence that what Lewis does is good, and now he has to use what Lewis does and maybe take a step back to go forward.”

That dynamic comes at a sensitive moment for Ferrari, with Leclerc under scrutiny while Hamilton’s momentum grows. It also aligns with wider concerns around his current form, as explored in our report on Ferrari’s concern over Charles Leclerc’s mindset after a costly slump.

The mental lesson Ferrari cannot ignore

Steiner’s central point is not that Leclerc lacks speed, intelligence or standing inside Ferrari. On the contrary, he stressed that Leclerc has significant credit within the team, built over a long spell at Maranello and reinforced by his contract situation.

But Steiner believes Hamilton’s Barcelona success should force a reassessment. “He needs to say, ‘I did it my way, obviously Lewis’s way worked better because he won a race and I didn’t, and now I need to come back and see what he does and try to be faster than him.’”

For Steiner, the key distinction is psychological rather than mechanical. He suggested the car balance is not the core issue for Leclerc, describing it as “pretty good,” and instead highlighted Hamilton’s willingness to push back when he felt Ferrari’s direction did not match his requirements.

“The mental part is more [important] than the technical part here,” Steiner said. “Lewis was not happy last year. He got beaten up by the world, but he kept on doing what he felt he needed to do.”

Steiner added that Hamilton remained firm over brake changes even when the team initially convinced him to stay with the older specification. That persistence, he argued, is the example Leclerc must absorb.

Hamilton currently sits second in the drivers’ championship with 115 points, while Leclerc is fourth on 75 points.