Lewis Hamilton arrived in Melbourne broadcasting a soulful "rebirth" to anyone with a microphone, but his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc has cooled the hype.
According to the Monegasque – who has survived the Scuderia’s pressure cooker longer than most – there’s nothing mystical about Hamilton’s brighter mood heading into Formula 1’s new era of regulations.
In his view, the seven-time world champion hasn’t suddenly rediscovered himself – he’s simply “super excited.”
Last year, Hamilton was a shadow of himself, haunted by the ground effect ghosts of the Italian outfit’s SF-25 and looking every bit the frustrated outsider. Now, he claims that "lost" version of his persona has been left in the rearview mirror.
The Briton’s rhetoric in the paddock on Thursday was nothing short of a testimonial to personal growth and team synergy. He wasn't just talking about lap times; he was talking about a spiritual alignment with the Scuderia.
"It's massively different to the first year," Hamilton gushed, reflecting on his sophomore leap with Ferrari. "And a much nicer feeling having spent a year at the team, understanding the culture, understanding ways, finding ways of working together.
“I think we're in a good place now together as a team. And I feel very gelled with the team today. So much happier."
©Ferrari
It’s a spicy pivot from the man who spent most of last season looking like he’d rather be anywhere but a cockpit. But while Lewis is busy feeling "gelled”, the man on the other side of the garage isn't buying the idea that his teammate has undergone some mystical transformation.
Leclerc’s Reality Check: ‘Super Excited’ – Not Different
Leclerc opted for a pointedly neutral stance. In a narrative that felt like a gentle pat on the head for his senior teammate, Leclerc suggested that Hamilton isn't "found" – he’s just experiencing the same new-car jitters as everyone else.
"Whether I see Lewis in a different place, I don't," Leclerc remarked with a clinical detachment that cut through the romanticism of Hamilton’s reset.
"I think he's just super excited. He was super excited to join the team last year, and he's super excited for these new cars to arrive, just like I am."
For Leclerc, the "noise" of Ferrari is a constant that he has learned to tune out, even if his teammate is currently dancing to it.
"I'm quite neutral going into this season," he admitted. "I've had quite a few years with the team now, and I know what it's like.
“To be driving for Ferrari is very, very special, but with that also comes a lot of noise and sometimes expectations that don't really reflect the real picture so I don't really have any expectations for now."
Into the Unknown
As the 2026 regulations loom over the Australian Grand Prix like a giant question mark, Leclerc seems more interested in the chaos of the unknown than the comfort of a "reset."
He warned that no amount of "gelling" can prepare a driver for the mechanical curveballs this new era will throw.
"I just go day by day. I try to do the best possible job and I hope that this means that on Sunday we are here celebrating the first win of the season but if not, we'll take it from there and try to work from that," Leclerc noted, before highlighting the technical unpredictability ahead.
"It's going to be an interesting race because over the years with the cars we've had before, which were a little bit more traditional, every time we did a change of regulation, we tested every scenario before getting to the first race."
He concluded with a grin that hinted at the surprises to come.
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‘That person’s gone’: Hamilton returns strong after mental reset"With these kinds of cars there are still quite a few scenarios that are unknown, like safety car restarts, all these kinds of things that you cannot really reproduce that might give us a few surprises so I'm looking forward to that,” he said.
While Hamilton enters Friday practice looking for a feeling, Leclerc is looking for facts. We're about to find out if "super excited" is enough to beat "neutral" when the lights go out.
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