Charles Leclerc has admitted that he is ‘too busy’ with his own driver work to help team-mate Lewis Hamilton overcome his difficult start to life with Ferrari. The legendary British racer is facing a make-or-break season at the beginning of the new technical regulations in 2026.

Hamilton joined Ferrari from Mercedes after 12 years at Brackley, and the transition to life with the Scuderia proved to be more difficult than anyone anticipated. The 40-year-old scored a sprint race victory in Shanghai two rounds into the season, but that proved to be a rare highlight in a challenging campaign.

When the chequered flag dropped in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton had failed to score a podium finish for the first time in his F1 career, and he ended the campaign 86 points behind team-mate Leclerc.

Unlike his Ferrari colleague, Leclerc enjoyed an exceptional season, scoring seven podiums for a team that finished fourth in the standings. That is not to say that the Monegasque racer was content, though. The 28-year-old struggled to hide his frustration with the SF-25, watching on as McLaren and Red Bull contended for the title.

“My job is to obviously maximise whatever I can do in my control,” Leclerc explained when asked about his team-mate’s struggles. “And there’s already so many things I’m focused on for myself and the team, to try and make sure that my driving fits the car in the best possible way.

“It’s obviously difficult for me to then also spend time [helping Hamilton]. And also, Lewis has achieved a lot more than I ever did. I don’t really have any advice to give him.”

Leclerc does appreciate the challenges involved in switching teams after such a lengthy spell at Mercedes. The Monegaque racer spent just one year with Sauber before being called up to replace Kimi Raikkonen.

“It’s for sure a long process whenever you join a new team,” he continued. “I don’t even remember what it’s like to be joining a new team. It’s been years that I’m at Ferrari, so I know how it works.

“Everything feels very natural, but for Lewis, it’s still new even after a year. The processes are completely different, the way you have the vision, the team, the way you work. So all of that still needs some time to get used to.”

Ferrari’s management is willing to give Hamilton time to adapt, despite the drastic swings of his debut season in red. Fred Vasseur accepted his own role in the Brit’s 2025 campaign when speaking at a post-season event.

“It was difficult for Lewis,” he said. “I personally underestimate the step. It’s not that we are doing worse or better, it’s that we are just doing differently. It’s not just about the food or the weather, it’s that every single software is different, every single component is different. The people around him, they were different.”