Formula 1 Hungarian GP
Charles Leclerc defends Lewis Hamilton after poor Hungarian GP
Charles Leclerc has tipped a struggling Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton to bounce back after the F1 summer break
Ben Vinel Oleg Karpov
Edited: Aug 4, 2025, 9:27 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photo by: Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton seems to be struggling more than he ever was in Formula 1, but he does have an unwavering ally in Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc has always played the team game; this was exemplified by his recent comments at the Belgian Grand Prix, when he was asked whether he was surprised to have the upper hand on Hamilton in terms of performance.
The Monegasque then insisted this “really is in the background for now”, adding “my main target at the moment is to bring Ferrari back to the top” and “Lewis is not my target”.
This was 11 days ago, and since then, Hamilton has had another two tough weekends. The seven-time world champion qualified 18th, 16th and 12th (including the Spa-Francorchamps sprint) when Leclerc was to fourth, third and first respectively.
Hamilton did make commanding progress on a damp track in the main Belgian GP race, but this perhaps was the only positive from those two rounds, as he went on to finish outside the points in Hungary for the first time in his career.
What has been even more telling is Hamilton’s demeanour in the media.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photo by: Zak Mauger / LAT Images via Getty Images
Six months ago, the Briton was full of enthusiasm as he began a new chapter as a Ferrari F1 driver; he gradually became glum – to the extent that, in the post-qualifying written media pen at the Hungaroring, he mostly delivered near-monosyllabic answers. Seconds earlier, speaking to Sky Sports F1, he had branded himself “absolutely useless” and suggested Ferrari needed to replace him.
Read Also:
Formula 1Lewis Hamilton suggests Ferrari now needs to replace him
Formula 1Hamilton's cryptic response to his "change driver" comments at F1 Hungarian GP
Still, asked about his team-mate’s rough patch following Sunday’s race, Leclerc insisted that all he wanted was the team’s success – including Hamilton’s – and tipped him to bounce back.
“At the end we are one team, and as much as I want to finish in front of Lewis, I want both of us to be successful, and Ferrari to be successful,” Leclerc said.
“Obviously this weekend has been a tough one for Lewis, but I have no doubt it's a one-off, and I'm sure the second part of the season will be a lot more positive.”
Perhaps not as positive as this Hungarian GP could have been, after polesitter and longtime race leader Leclerc dropped out of the podium positions due to an unspecified chassis problem that made his car “undriveable”.
Read Also:
“I don't think we are going into the second half of the season thinking that we can win anywhere, and that's what makes the frustration even bigger, because we knew that this was one opportunity probably over the season and we had to take it, but unfortunately with this issue we couldn't do much,” Leclerc lamented.
Photos from Hungarian GP - Race
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Hungarian GP - Sunday, in photos
Formula 1
75
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Who slept best last night: Fernando Alonso
Next article New F3 champion Rafael Camara on path to emulate Charles Leclerc at Ferrari
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Ben Vinel
Toto Wolff reflects on Mercedes’ non-title years: ‘We weren’t complete losers’
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
19 h
Toto Wolff reflects on Mercedes’ non-title years: ‘We weren’t complete losers’
Max Verstappen explains why he’s so good in the rain in Brazil
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
2 d
Max Verstappen explains why he’s so good in the rain in Brazil
More from
Lewis Hamilton
F1 driver contracts: How long is each driver tied down for?
Formula 1
Formula 1 3 h
F1 driver contracts: How long is each driver tied down for?
Max Verstappen on Ferrari clashes: "I would never sign two number-one drivers"
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
1 d
Max Verstappen on Ferrari clashes: "I would never sign two number-one drivers"
More from
Ferrari
What the Brazilian GP revealed about F1's ability to cope with rain
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
2 d
What the Brazilian GP revealed about F1's ability to cope with rain
F1 2026 calendar update: Imola GP off the table, no plan B if war escalates
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
2 d
F1 2026 calendar update: Imola GP off the table, no plan B if war escalates
Latest news
"It's horribly painful" - Williams drops 2026 car upgrades to benefit 2027
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
1 h
"It's horribly painful" - Williams drops 2026 car upgrades to benefit 2027
Iker Lecuona felt significant differences between Ducati's GP25 and GP26
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
2 h
Iker Lecuona felt significant differences between Ducati's GP25 and GP26
The Kimi Antonelli you don't know: Inside the Mercedes garage with F1's new world champion
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Mexican GP
3 h
The Kimi Antonelli you don't know: Inside the Mercedes garage with F1's new world champion
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe