Ferrari enters the summer break with two Grand Prix victories in 2026. Lewis Hamilton won in Barcelona, while Charles Leclerc won at Silverstone two rounds later. Both results ended long waits for the drivers and confirmed Ferrari’s progress after a winless 2025 season.
The two drivers have produced closely matched results across the opening eleven rounds. Leclerc leads their qualifying comparison by six sessions to five. Hamilton holds the same narrow advantage in races, with six higher finishes against Leclerc’s five.
Barcelona gave Hamilton his first Ferrari victory
Hamilton arrived in Barcelona after several podium finishes during the opening part of the season. He converted Ferrari‘s strongest complete weekend into his first Grand Prix victory for the team. The result was also his first win since the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix. Ferrari controlled the important phases without relying on a late retirement ahead. Hamilton kept enough pace through the tyre cycles and managed the final part of the race. His victory therefore reflected the car’s performance and the team’s completed work.
The win carried extra importance after Hamilton’s difficult first Ferrari season. He had finished 2025 without a Grand Prix podium for the first time in his career. Barcelona showed that the new car gave him a more stable base. Hamilton has scored points at every round during 2026. That record separates him from many direct rivals during an uneven season. It also keeps him second in the drivers’ standings before racing resumes at Zandvoort.
Leclerc answered with victory at Silverstone
Leclerc won the British Grand Prix two rounds after Hamilton’s success. Ferrari had not expected Silverstone to suit the car as well as Barcelona. The victory therefore provided useful evidence about performance on a different circuit.
Leclerc had waited since the 2024 United States Grand Prix for another win. He completed the race with controlled pace and avoided the errors that affected several rivals. Ferrari again won without depending on an unusual result elsewhere.
The two victories also reduced pressure inside the driver pairing. Hamilton and Leclerc now have one win each during the current season. Their qualifying and race comparisons remain separated by only one result. Hamilton has five podiums, while Leclerc has four. Leclerc has recorded two retirements during the opening eleven rounds. Those missed finishes explain part of Hamilton’s stronger championship position.
Austria exposed Ferrari‘s tyre weakness
The Austrian Grand Prix produced Ferrari‘s weakest recent Sunday. Leclerc started second and Hamilton started third after a competitive qualifying session. Both cars then lost pace as tyre wear increased in hot conditions. Ferrari moved each driver onto a three-stop plan during the race. Hamilton finished fifth, while Leclerc fell to eighth. The extra stops did not recover enough time against cars with better tyre control.
Team principal Fred Vasseur said Ferrari lacked the required race pace. He also explained that the team had focused too much on Mercedes. That approach left less attention for other threats during the race. Austria showed why one strong starting position does not guarantee a similar finish. Qualifying rewards a single fast lap on fresh tyres. A race also measures balance and tyre behaviour across repeated longer runs.
The driver comparison remains very close
Leclerc has qualified ahead of Hamilton six times this season. Hamilton has taken the higher grid position on five weekends. Neither driver has secured a pole position, and second place remains their best qualifying result.
Race results reverse that small advantage. Hamilton has finished ahead six times, while Leclerc has done so five times. The comparison includes completed official results rather than practice pace or predictions.
Their similar results give Ferrari two useful references for development. Different comments from each driver help engineers identify shared problems and personal preferences. The team then decides which changes improve the car for both sides. Ferrari‘s upgrades have reduced the gap to Mercedes across the opening eleven rounds. McLaren and Red Bull have also improved across recent races. Development therefore remains a contest involving several teams, not only the championship leader.
| 2026 comparison | Lewis Hamilton | Charles Leclerc |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying sessions ahead | 5 | 6 |
| Race finishes ahead | 6 | 5 |
| Grand Prix victories | 1 | 1 |
| Podium finishes | 5 | 4 |
Zandvoort begins the second part of the season
Formula One resumes at Zandvoort after the summer break. Ferrari brings two victories, nine combined podiums and a close driver comparison into that weekend. Those results provide a clear record of the team’s progress. The next target is consistent race pace across different track layouts. Ferrari won on merit at Barcelona and Silverstone. Austria showed that tyre degradation still removes an early advantage.
Hamilton remains involved in the drivers’ championship through his steady points record. Leclerc also begins the remaining races with a recent victory. Ferrari therefore has two drivers capable of challenging near the front. The remaining rounds determine whether upgrades preserve that position. Completed races provide stronger evidence than promises made during the break. Ferrari starts that period with more useful results than it held one year earlier.
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