Leclerc says Canadian GP was toughest weekend of his F1 career as Hamilton benchmark exposes gap

Charles Leclerc called the Canadian Grand Prix the most difficult weekend of his Formula 1 career, after being comprehensively outpaced by Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton now trails Leclerc by just three points in the Drivers' standings and leads the intra-team head-to-head 3-2 on race days.

Why it matters:

Hamilton's benchmark performance at a circuit where Ferrari still lacked pace relative to Mercedes reveals the gulf between the two teammates. For Leclerc, the experience provides clear data to analyze, but it also shows that even a four-time race winner can struggle when the car's window is narrow. Ferrari's hopes of closing the gap to Mercedes depend on understanding and replicating Hamilton's setup.

The details:

• Leclerc finished fourth, 34 seconds behind Hamilton, who was within striking distance of race winner Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes.
• The Monegasque said he had “zero feeling with the tyres from FP1 first lap until the very last lap of the race.”
• In the final 15 laps, he drove a second to a second and a half off the pace just to avoid risk, yet still had moments “too close for comfort.”
• Hamilton's fastest lap was seven-tenths quicker than Leclerc's best, underscoring the performance gap.
• Despite the struggles, Leclerc acknowledged the value of a strong teammate: “I’ve got a great benchmark on a weekend like this, with Lewis being absolutely incredible.”
• The result was flattering: Leclerc admitted P4 came more from luck (McLaren strategy errors, George Russell's retirement) than his own effort.

What's next:

Ferrari's true test will come when the car can challenge Mercedes at the front. Leclerc noted the team wasn't far behind despite Mercedes' upgrades, but stressed the need to see how much Antonelli was pushing. With Hamilton now fully settled at Maranello, the intra-team battle will intensify — and Leclerc knows the data from Canada will be vital for his own development.

Leclerc sits third in the standings on 75 points, Hamilton fourth on 72. The next race will show whether Montreal was an anomaly or a worrying trend for the man who was once Ferrari's clear number one.