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Charles Leclerc says Lewis Hamilton has raised the ‘same issues’ as Carlos Sainz at Ferrari

Originally posted on HITC | By David Comerford | Last updated Nov 22, 2025 1:39 PM ET

Charles Leclerc described qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix as ‘extremely difficult’ after Ferrari’s drivers managed just ninth and 20th on the grid, dealing another blow to their hopes of second place in the constructors’ standings.

The team’s double retirement in São Paulo had already left them 36 points adrift of Mercedes, and this result moved them even closer to what would be their worst finish since the ground-effect regulations began. Lewis Hamilton became the first Ferrari driver to qualify last since Giancarlo Fisichella in 2009, while Leclerc reached Q3 but still lapped nearly two seconds slower than pole-sitter Lando Norris.

Charles Leclerc frustrated by Ferrari’s lack of wet weather progress

Over team radio, Leclerc described Ferrari’s showing as ’embarrassing’ and mentioned he had ‘zero grip’ in the wet conditions.

He wasn’t the only one struggling after the rain hit. Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda both likened the experience to driving on ice.

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For Leclerc, though, it’s an issue that goes back to his start with Ferrari in 2019. The team have tried various solutions to improve the car’s handling on intermediate and wet tyres but haven’t made any real progress.

Lewis Hamilton admits Ferrari ‘tried everything’ to fix rain performance

Speaking over team radio, Leclerc didn’t hold back, calling Ferrari’s showing “embarrassing” and saying he had “zero grip” in the wet.

And he wasn’t alone in his frustration—Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda both described the surface as feeling more like an ice rink than a racetrack after the unexpected downpour.

But for Leclerc, it’s a familiar story. Ever since joining Ferrari in 2019, he’s struggled with stability on intermediate and wet tyres. Despite numerous attempts to address the issue, nothing have stuck.

Both his former teammate Carlos Sainz and current teammate Lewis Hamilton have echoed similar complaints about the car.

Hamilton said: “Ever since I’ve been here, we’ve had this issue in the rain. It’s so frustrating because we’ve tried everything.”

“Lewis and Carlos have made the same comments. We can’t manage to use the grip. It’s just extremely difficult to drive, even to keep it on the track.”