Lewis Hamilton says preferential treatment over team-mate Charles Leclerc is not what he’s been asking Ferrari for, despite his position as a potential Formula 1 title contender in 2026. Leclerc’s retirement from the Italian Grand Prix means he’s now 112 points adrift of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, with a maximum of 258 points to score over the last 10 rounds – assuming the final races aren’t impacted by the Iran war. Hamilton’s deficit, meanwhile, is ‘just’ 76 points, so the seven-time world champion does have more realistic odds – however slim – to be a dark horse for the title.

However, when asked if it was time for the Scuderia to put all its efforts behind him and for Leclerc to support him, Hamilton retorted: “That's not actually really what I've been asking for.” He emphasized that his focus is on team execution: “It's really just making sure we're executing to make sure we get the best result for the team. Instead of us working against each other and finishing fourth and fifth, maybe we can work together and get a podium, pull off more points.” Hamilton noted his consistency, being the only driver to finish every grand prix in the top 10, but acknowledged Ferrari’s straight-line speed deficit compared to Mercedes, citing a six-tenths gap on straights in the last race. He remains optimistic about incremental improvements to the car and engine, stressing that focus should stay on optimizing their own weekends rather than fixating on rivals.