Charles Leclerc Opens Up About Ferrari Setups and Adapting His Driving Style
Charles Leclerc has never been one to shy away from the edge. Whether it’s dancing on the limit in qualifying or searching for that elusive extra tenth during a race, the Monegasque driver has made a name for himself by embracing challenge. And right now, that challenge involves taking his Ferrari SF-25 into uncharted territory with some seriously aggressive setup choices.
Leclerc, speaking ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, admitted that Ferrari has taken a bold approach in recent races to extract more performance from their 2025 challenger. These changes, while yielding some results, have also brought complications—particularly when it comes to how the car behaves at the absolute limit.
Finding the Edge: Ferrari’s Bold Technical Shift
In the first five races of the season, Leclerc has had a mixed bag of results. A third place in Saudi Arabia marked his closest finish to the leader, trailing by just eight seconds. In contrast, he was over 20 seconds off the pace in Bahrain and suffered a disqualification after finishing fifth in China. These results paint a clear picture: the SF-25 shows promise but still lacks consistent race-winning pace.
To try and bridge that gap, Ferrari has allowed Leclerc to experiment with extreme setup changes, especially around the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. The goal? To unlock more speed, even if it means making the car more difficult to handle.
“From my side, we’ve really gone into extreme setup directions this year to try and extract the potential from the car,” Leclerc explained. “That’s forced me to adapt my driving style quite a lot, but it’s something we’ve been working on for a few races now.”
The Price of Performance: Driving the Beast
These radical changes haven’t come without consequence. The trade-off, according to Leclerc, is that the car has become stiffer and trickier to drive—particularly during qualifying when every gram of grip and feedback matters.
“The car becomes really stiff, and that makes it harder to drive—especially when you’re on the edge in qualifying,” he said. “But honestly, I’ve always liked that kind of challenge.”
The changes he refers to involve shifting the car’s balance to provide more front-end grip at the expense of rear stability. In simple terms, the car now turns into corners more aggressively but can also snap into oversteer if not handled delicately. This is a trait Leclerc is happy to live with—he’s never been a fan of understeer and prefers a pointy front end, even if it means living on a knife-edge through the turns.
Contrasting Styles: Leclerc vs. Hamilton
Interestingly, this setup direction doesn’t suit everyone. New teammate Lewis Hamilton, who joined Ferrari this year, has struggled more to adapt to the same philosophy. Known for preferring a predictable and stable rear, Hamilton hasn’t looked comfortable with the current balance of the car.
The result? Hamilton has found himself around half a second adrift of Leclerc in qualifying in the last two races, raising questions about whether Ferrari’s setup direction is too narrowly tailored to one driver.
However, Leclerc remains supportive of his new teammate and believes Hamilton’s presence is already paying dividends within the team.
“Lewis has brought a new way of thinking,” Leclerc said. “He’s questioned methods that we’ve used for years and helped us see things from a different perspective. That’s already a huge contribution.”
Adapting to Change: Inside the Ferrari Camp
Ferrari’s internal dynamic has been shaken—in a good way—by Hamilton’s arrival. The seven-time World Champion is still learning the car and adapting to the team’s processes, but his feedback and experience are helping Ferrari ask the right questions.
“It’s always difficult coming into a new team. There’s a lot to take in: systems, culture, even the smallest details take time to get used to,” Leclerc said. “Right now, I’m focused on my own development and the setup work, which is already a massive workload. But I’m sure Lewis will grow stronger as the season continues.”
Hamilton did, after all, clinch an impressive win in China—a reminder that he’s never too far away from delivering when it counts. Leclerc sees that performance as a glimpse of what’s to come once Hamilton fully settles in.
Learning Curve and Open Minds
What’s clear is that both Ferrari drivers are learning—not just about the SF-25, but about each other. Leclerc’s willingness to adapt and Hamilton’s experience in shaping a title-winning car might just be the blend Ferrari needs.
“We’re still in the process of adapting everything around this new approach. That’s something that takes time, sometimes several races. The last few have shown that it’s working for now—but we’re staying open-minded,” said Leclerc. “If we need to, we’ll pull back. But for the moment, this is the path we’re on.”
That mindset—of flexibility and self-awareness—may prove crucial in a season where marginal gains can make or break a championship challenge. Leclerc seems to recognize this better than ever.
Looking Ahead: Upgrades and Expectations
Ferrari isn’t standing still. The team plans to bring a series of incremental upgrades starting with the next race in Imola. These updates are expected to address rear-end instability—a move that may benefit Hamilton more directly while still preserving Leclerc’s aggressive front-end feel.
There’s cautious optimism in the red garage. The SF-25 might not yet be the class of the field, but in the hands of a driver willing to take risks—and a teammate with unmatched experience—Ferrari may yet find the formula to consistently challenge at the front.
“We’re still learning, still improving,” Leclerc concluded. “But I’m confident we’re heading in the right direction.”
And for a team like Ferrari, with its storied legacy and burning desire to return to the top, that direction is everything.
