Lewis Hamilton vs. Charles Leclerc: Did the ‘intense’ battle at the Chinese Grand Prix ignite Ferrari rivalry for the 2026 F1 season? | F1 News

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc engaged in a thrilling battle for the podium at the Chinese Grand Prix, with the seven-time world champion calling it “the best race I’ve ever experienced in F1”.

Hamilton and Leclerc showed the best performance of F1’s new regulations, overtaking and re-overtaking several times around the Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday, and were close in the sprint on Saturday.

Remarkably, the pair only had one minor contact, a “kiss” according to Hamilton, who took the lead and secured his first podium as a Ferrari driver.

“It was kind of like a go-kart, going back and forth, back and forth, and sometimes it was like there was a thin piece of paper between us, and we were able to position the car really well,” Hamilton said.

“But we didn’t change the paint at all. I think that’s a result of being a great driver and respecting him.”

George Russell had a front row seat for much of the battle until he found a way to fend off the Ferrari duo, and was surprised by how tough the race was.

“I was just waiting for them to collide and somehow they didn’t. It was the most aggressive racing I’ve ever seen,” he said.

“If I wasn’t trying to win the race I would have enjoyed the battle, but obviously it was a little frustrating to see Kimi (Antonelli) pull away at those points.”

Villeneuve doubts the fight against Ferrari will cost him the match against Mercedes

On Sunday, it was Leclerc who started the on-track battle just before half-distance of the 56-lap Chinese Grand Prix, with both Ferraris on the podium and Russell fourth.

The Ferrari battle was exciting, but the two didn’t drive in the best way and Russell seemed stuck, but he managed to pull through.

Sky Sports F1’s Jacques Villeneuve believes both Hamilton and Leclerc want to be ‘the man’ at Ferrari, even if it means losing time to their rivals in the battle.

The 1997 F1 world champion said: “Lewis was energetic and fighting. He was very calm, minding his own business and didn’t let Antonelli get far.”

“But then Leclerc decided not to play in the team race, he played against Leclerc and it caught him off guard. But he should have foreseen this to happen. The same thing happened in the sprint.”

“It ended up being okay, but it was a bit extreme and it ruined Ferrari’s race. They were running second and third, but they fought so hard they broke their tires.

“At some point, if they keep pulling away from each other’s lap times, Mercedes will run away, but they’re not that far away from Mercedes with a raceable car. Mercedes isn’t that far ahead in points, so you should be a little worried about Ferrari coming back.”

Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur said it was “unfair” to call off the fight as he “trusts” the driver.

“I have a lot of respect for both of them. They are professionals and I think in this situation it makes sense to let them race,” he said.

“I’m fully aware that it can look completely stupid after half an hour, but I also think that at the end of the day it’s the best way to strengthen the team. We need to build this kind of emulation into the team to improve.”

“As long as we’re doing it the same way it was done in China, I don’t want to freeze my position, even though I’ve said on the radio several times that they had a lot of fun.”

Does Ferrari have a problem with two equally matched drivers?

Last year, Leclerc was clearly faster than Hamilton for much of the season, so Ferrari experienced few problems with drivers scrapping on the same track.

Leclerc and Hamilton have been so evenly matched in the opening two races of this year that teams may need to step in if drivers push the limits or end up in a nasty collision – something F1 history has shown is inevitable when teammates are fighting regularly.

Perhaps there was more enthusiasm between the Ferrari pair to stay ahead of each other in China, knowing that a safety car was likely to be deployed.

Early in the race, Leclerc had to get stuck behind Hamilton during his pit stop when most drivers pitted due to Lance Stroll’s safety car stop.

The reduced reliability of the 2026 cars could lead to drivers suddenly pulling to the side of the track, raising the possibility of a safety car or virtual safety car being introduced that would allow drivers to make cheap pit stops.

At the Miami Grand Prix, one of the few matches between Ferraris last year, the team was slow to develop team orders when Hamilton appeared faster and caught up behind Leclerc.

“Let’s take a break and have some tea,” the British driver said over the team radio during a heated exchange with engineer Riccardo Adami.

However, Hamilton seems much happier with new race engineer Carlo Santi, who has been appointed on an interim basis.

“I think I went into the season with as much confidence as I had before, and I think I’ve stuck with that,” Hamilton said.

“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my career to get on the podium, and getting there was the biggest challenge, so I just had to be on time. I think I developed a really positive mental attitude going into the season, and I’ve carried that with me.”

If Hamilton continues his strong start to 2026, he will be confident of an impressive first win in red. But a fast Hamilton, while a good thing, will cause a headache for Ferrari. Because it is certain that the two Ferrari drivers will end up having more battles. However, it probably won’t be such a disadvantage that it will lose to Mercedes.

F1 will next head to the iconic Suzuka Circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix from March 27-29, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract