Sports · Motorsport · 1 hr ago
Ralf Schumacher says Hamilton is not fast enough compared with Leclerc
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher says Hamilton is not fast enough compared with Leclerc to settle the question of who should lead Ferrari.
Hamilton is 12 points ahead of his teammate in the drivers’ standings, but Leclerc has beaten him in eight of the last 12 races.
Their rivalry flared at the Mexican Grand Prix, where an on-track clash damaged Ferrari’s bid for victory.
The incident led to talks between the drivers before the Brazilian Grand Prix, while Hamilton has complained that Ferrari lacks clear rules for its drivers.
Schumacher argues Hamilton can establish himself by finishing ahead of Leclerc, but also questioned whether either driver is still at world championship level.
He separately said Hamilton has not learned to lead a team and that Max Verstappen would find a move to Mercedes difficult because of his close involvement in Red Bull’s technical work.
Ferrari’s choice of which driver to back remains a concern, and no decision is described.
Ralf Schumacher said Lewis Hamilton is not fast enough compared with Charles Leclerc to merit being Ferrari’s number-one driver.
Schumacher said Hamilton would need to finish ahead of Leclerc consistently to settle the question.
Hamilton is 12 points ahead of Leclerc in the Drivers’ standings, but Leclerc has beaten him in eight of the last 12 races, according to GPFans.
The drivers’ tensions escalated after a clash at the Mexican Grand Prix and led to talks with Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur before the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Both drivers and Vasseur said they had put the matter behind them.
- Who
- Ralf Schumacher criticized Lewis Hamilton’s performance against Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc.
- What
- Schumacher said Hamilton is not fast enough to warrant being Ferrari’s number-one driver.
- When
- Schumacher’s comments were reported on November 12 and 13, 2026.
- Where
- The dispute concerns Ferrari and its drivers; Schumacher made the remarks to Sky Sports Germany.
- Why
- Schumacher said Hamilton has not established himself as clearly faster than Leclerc.
Ralf Schumacher
Lewis Hamilton
Performance
Ralf Schumacher
Schumacher said Hamilton is not fast enough compared with Leclerc to merit number-one status.
Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton has criticized Leclerc’s approach, accusing him of having a “do or die” attitude after their Mexico clash.
Responsibility for tensions
Ralf Schumacher
Schumacher said Hamilton was causing the discussion by failing to establish superiority over Leclerc.
Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton has complained about the lack of rules of engagement for Ferrari’s drivers.
Hamilton and Leclerc clashed on track, and Hamilton criticized Leclerc’s approach.
Hamilton and Leclerc held talks with Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur.
Leclerc finished ahead of Hamilton, according to Crash.net.
GPFans and Motorsport.com reported Schumacher’s criticism of Hamilton.
Crash.net reported Schumacher’s comments about Hamilton’s performance against Leclerc.
- Drivers’ standings
- Hamilton was 12 points ahead of Leclerc
- Recent races
- Leclerc beat Hamilton in eight of the last 12 races
- Ferrari team principal
- Fred Vasseur
- Schumacher’s comparison
- Michael Schumacher was cited as having been clearly better than his team-mate
- Mexican Grand Prix
- Hamilton and Leclerc had an on-track clash
3 sources
What people are saying
The problem is that he [Hamilton] is simply not fast enough compared to Leclerc.
If he were clearly better than his team-mate, like my brother [Michael] was back then, this discussion wouldn’t even exist. He is the one causing it.
Always make sure you’re ahead! Be a second or half a second faster than Leclerc! Win every race or at least finish ahead of him! It’s that simple.
Hamilton never learned how to lead a team, not under Toto Wolff and not under Ron Dennis.