- Charles Leclerc reflects after a tense Ferrari fight at the Chinese Grand Prix.
- A dramatic intra-team duel becomes one of the race’s biggest talking points.
- Hamilton reaches important milestone as Ferrari tries to close gap to Mercedes.
At the end of a tense Sunday afternoon at the Shanghai International Circuit, Charles Leclerc stepped out of his Ferrari and shared a candid reflection of the race. Moments earlier, he had spent several laps fighting teammate Lewis Hamilton wheel-to-wheel for a podium spot at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix.
Hamilton crossed the line in third place after 56 laps, while Leclerc finished fourth. The duel between the two Ferrari drivers became the main spectacle of the race. Despite missing the podium, Leclerc said he was pleased to see Hamilton secure his first top-three finish for Ferrari.
The race itself went to Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, who finished more than five seconds ahead of teammate George Russell. Hamilton followed them home in third for Scuderia Ferrari, with Leclerc just behind in fourth.
A historic milestone for Hamilton
Hamilton’s third-place finish in Shanghai carried extra meaning. The result ended a 477-day wait for a grand prix podium and marked his first podium since joining Ferrari.
The seven-time champion achieved the result in his 26th race for the Italian team. It also improved on the P4 he scored at the season-opening 2026 Australian Grand Prix just one week earlier.
Speaking after the race, Hamilton said earning that podium had been one of the toughest moments of his career. He explained that he approached the new season with a strong mindset and planned to keep building from this result.
A flying start and the battle begins
The race began with Ferrari showing a strong pace off the line. Hamilton swept around the outside of the Mercedes cars, while Leclerc slotted into third behind Antonelli.
Hamilton briefly led the race in the opening lap. Antonelli took the position back at the Turn 14 hairpin before lap two ended and quickly built a gap he never lost.
A Safety Car later changed the rhythm of the race after Lance Stroll stopped with a battery problem in his Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team car. The restart set up a three-way fight for second place behind Antonelli.
Russell soon broke clear. That left Hamilton and Leclerc locked in a tight contest for the final podium place.
On lap 24, Leclerc attacked into Turn 14 and moved into second. The two Ferrari drivers then traded positions several times through the next laps, running side by side through the opening turns and swapping places again at Turn 9.
Russell eventually passed them both. Hamilton later regained third when Leclerc locked up on lap 36.
Another fierce fight came on laps 39 and 40. The cars appeared to touch as they battled through the corners, but Hamilton held on to the position.
At one point, Leclerc nearly ran into the back of Hamilton when the Briton slowed to harvest energy near the final corner. The moment showed how the new 2026 rules on energy use and overtaking modes shaped the race.
Hamilton later described the contact with humour. He said the cars touched during the fight but called it “just a kiss,” adding that hard racing is part of the sport.
Charles Leclerc praised Hamilton for a well-deserved podium
After the race, Leclerc spoke openly about the duel and Hamilton’s result. In a video shared on X by @GazzettaFerrari, he praised his teammate and admitted Hamilton had the stronger weekend.
“So yeah, P4, it was a nice battle, I enjoyed it,” Leclerc said. “I don’t know if the team or the Tifosi enjoyed it as much, because it was definitely very, very tricky.”
He added, “Obviously, I am very happy for Lewis’s P3. Of course, disappointed on my side to be out of the podium. But I’ve tried my best, and Lewis deserves the podium more than I do because he was just stronger all weekend and a little bit faster than me.”
Leclerc said he plans to work harder to improve at Shanghai, a track where he has never scored a podium. He also joked that he hoped fans watching the race did not “sweat too much” during the intense fight.
The Monegasque driver called the contest “a very fair, hard, but fair battle.” He added that it is rare for him to smile after finishing fourth, but the duel made the race enjoyable.
Leclerc also pointed to Ferrari’s gap to Mercedes as the main concern from the weekend. He said the team likely lost some time during the internal battle, which may have made the gap to the Silver Arrows look larger.
After two races in the 2026 season, Leclerc sits third in the drivers’ standings with 34 points. Hamilton is just one point behind in fourth.
Ferrari appears to be Mercedes’ closest challenger. But the German team still holds a clear speed edge, especially on the straights.
What stood out most in Shanghai was the tone after the fight. A fierce on-track duel ended with respect between teammates, and Leclerc’s praise for Hamilton left Ferrari’s fans with a clear message about the partnership forming inside the team.
