Peter looks at the problems that have recently beset Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc – not only in Charles’s own performances but also in comparison with those of his team-mate, Sir Lewis Hamilton.
With thanks to Jetcraft, the world’s largest buyer and seller of executive jets:
To TrackNinja, a lap-timer and data app designed to help users improve their on-track car and driver performance through analysis and an innovative Data Garage. A lite version is free; the loaded edition is US$9.99 pcm or $99.99 yearly
To OEM Exclusive, the passionate suppliers of OEM upgrades for exotic and high-performance vehicles
And to REC Watches, whose timepieces are infused with DNA and actual material from famous racing and road cars. Claim your additional 10 per cent discount by adding the codeword PETER:
Images: Scuderia Ferrari
Visit: FXD https://fxdworkwear.com for all your purpose-build, technical workwear
Visit https://alpinestars.com for all your racing apparel
Try Oscar Razors – Australia’s highly-rated, 5-blade razors for men and women
https://oscarrazor.com.au.
Follow Peter @peterwindsor
Book a Cameo with Peter: https://cameo.com/peterwindsor
Contact us at: peterwindsoryt@gmail.com
We support the Race Against Dementia:
The Alora dog rescue shelter (Malaga, Spain)
https://aloradogrescue.com
#standwithukraine – now, more than ever
#Canada! #jimmykimmel!
Stephen Gallacher Golf Foundation
https://sgfoundation.co.uk
Nick: you’re with us always:
https://samaritans.org
Charles just got married.
He's not going to be on form for a while.
Toto says George is smooth. Peter says George is spiky. I don’t get it.
I've thought it from the start of the season, the Ferrari is a really beautiful car, like Senna/Maclaren beautiful. I love it, very pretty.
One bad race and everybody's high and mighty what Charles should change about his driving… Lewis was nowhere for a year and a half (let's say three) and no one raised an eyebrow… Funny. Charles didn't lost anything, he just found himself in two new marriages…
Apparently it was Lewis who used Charles' setup because he missed FP1.
Lewis wins one race and Charles is washed up. As usual suiting your car to one driver usually makes the other driver look bad.
Every now and again Peter comes up on my recommended and reminds me what utter nonsense this guy talks lol. Guy sounds articulate but if you actually process it, almost nothing makes any sense at all. What does “rates of input per hour” even mean?
Even as a Lewis fan, he moved towards Charles’ setup after struggling in FP2 and 3 and came alive. So suggesting Charles copied Lewis’ setup and was trying to drive like Lewis is straight up fiction.
Likewise watching Russell onboard vs Kimi and others for about 10 seconds would show you that he’s a smooth driver and not “spikey” or whatever the hell peters yapping about.
I know Peter tries to stay neutral but he is extremely biased towards Lewis.
Didn't Charles beat Lewis in Australia blew him away in Japan and Miami?
Canada yes Lewis beat him fair and square.
Monaco? Aah not so sure. Many factors. Still yes Lewis beat him.
People forget in Q2 spain Charles was way quicker than Lewis.
People be hating on Charles too much.
Let's all calm down. He will come back. I wouldn't be surprised if Charles beat Lewis fairly in Austria.
charles is so fluid & intuitive that he crashed 3 times in two races and caused the DNF by running off into the gravel. it is tiring to hear how great he is with 8 career wins. he has been hell bent on beating Lewis, he races his teammates 10x harder than the other drivers. perhaps speed more time building with Lewis.
Leclerc had very strong mid race place. Possibly, part to do with Lando, but I think Char was the reason Merc did not split strategies.
Lewis got the win, but it was not a foregone conclusion that managing from the front, would have gotten him past three strong cars on merit.
Lewis is turning the Ferrari into a Mercedes … nooooooooooooooooo
Charles must stop listening to the background noise and just drive. Do his best on track. He can't fix the car like Lewis has.
I dig watching Lewis drive.
Car set up often suits one of two drivers. It’s ok in a team where there is a clear number 1 driver like Max, but it seems this car suits Lewis over Charles. The brake set up is clearly not suiting Charles atm. At the beginning of last year Lando struggled with set up until he got into the rhythm and Oscar seems to be struggling with set up more at the start of this year. Things change during the year. We’re now talking about Charles like he has forgotten how to drive and everyone is saying Oscar has lost his market value. We’re quick to write people off imo.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few races, only then will we be able to see if this resurgence is just a flash in the pan, or Lewis is back for real.
If he's back, it'll be one hell of a season, and another entry into the 'Legend' book.
Charles is the modern-day Rene Arnoux!!!
Speculation is what keeps the sport interesting. All of it is tasty and I can’t wait for the next race.
He always crashes and TBH next race he'll beat Lewis and then go and crash again in Silverstone, it's just what he does.
Lewis Hamilton focus on one thing above all others when he joined Ferrari. Making friends.
That car is made for Lewis
I thought Peter said Charles was trying to drive like max in qualifying and that's why he crashed ? Lol.. now he knows how stupid that sounded when he said it on Cameron podcast and wants to correct that ridiculous comment…smh
to be fair, LeClerc seems to have found a solution for his brake issues. Hopefully he can work to find a setup that lets him find his flowstate. I think a little bad luck and over-reaching during quali made the weekend a bit ugly, but I anticipate he will be closer to understanding how to use the hardware better in the next race. #ForzaFerrari
The fact Peter says the telemetry won't show the difference in braking techniques shows how out of touch this guy is.
Nothing more than a tabloid "journalist"
Telling Charles to watch Lewis from TV cameras instead of onboards. I laughed out loud.
Anyone with an IQ above 50 can see right through this guy's nonsense
Spot on Peter. The harmony that Lewis projected was awe inspiring. Talk about driving with the seat of your pants. So captivating to see a world champion sharing where he was mentally in 2025 to this well deserved podium. As a spectator trying to watch as many of his moves inside the cockpit while looking down the tarmac. AR glasses allow me to keep a few camera views in action and the deeper in concentrate on engine sound, gears, braking and ( blessing whoever came up with) “😮Harvesting energy”. I’ve been driving hybrids for over a decade so I was focused on the teams trying to apply, and clearly struggling (who can forget Max sitting while everyone started off). I pitied the guys in the pits (apologies).
Please keep it up Peter. FYI, I have spent some time on American tracks, in pits, and with a helmet on. My friends and I joked that braking was objectionable., learn to use your gearbox. Again, thanks.
Peter yapping like he's an insider . He was kicked out of the sport after his USF1 debacle. The best he can do is undermine his fan girl Camf1 and hawk watches 🤣
Charles is still in the title fight. But no more dnf's allowed in the next 15 races.
Max Gaslighter… lol, how do you even find dignity to compare Lewis and Max? the guy they stole a tittle to hand it to him?
Lewis is far better than any of these drivers and he is the best ever, Like it or not.
leclerc is Stroll in a Ferrari
Charles binned it because of his over zealous reaction to a slide, not because he was driving like Lewis – he is fundamentally a poor split second decision maker however he gets himself into trouble in the first place
Watching the Ferrari SF26 under Lewis Hamilton in Barcelona was the closest to liquid silk. There was a serenity and a flow about the laps even as he was gapping the field at such a rate, it never looked frenetic or forced. It was Classic Lewis Hamilton and when he is at close to his best Charles is going to have a deficit to him.
I thought it was only the brakes that were changed rather than car setup
He will bounce back
Lewis and Max demand perfection from themselves and the car. It's wonderful to watch.
In MotoGP the best riders are thinking two corners ahead with knowledge of the vehicle dynamics so expecting slides and understeer. That requires deep understanding, long experience and intelligence. Moving as much work from the conscious mind to the unconscious which is ten times faster. Thus the smooth is fast mantra really means mastery of vehicle dynamics is required..
Go with the flow!
Can Charles drive like Lewis.
Lewis Hamilton.
The answer to such a question is not going to be "yeah sure, I'll just drive like the 106-time GP winner does. No probs."
Lets be real here, Lewis to Ferrari wasn't about prestige or anything other than money. Ferrari want the 7 timer to win his 8th and solidify him as the GOAT to sell more cars and make more profit, it's that simple. So they are never going to back Charles until that happens, and it's already too late I feel. So I guess Charles knows that the only way he could ever win at Ferrari is by adapting his driving style to the car they've built for Lewis.
Lewis used LeClerc's setup due to missing FP1.
Leclerc sometimes reminds me of Andrea Dovizioso back in the day when he was at Ducati, and he was incredibly fast, but often had brain short circuits and crashed way too much. He eventually found a therapist who helped him figure out whatever issue was provoking that "shortage", and he began to race beautifullly, had epic disputes with Marc Marquez, who was then absolutely unbeatable, but Andrea did defeat him a number of times in dramatic races. Maybe Charles should get that therapist's number from Andrea.
This guy just bullshits so much. So much.