Charles Leclerc and Hamilton Eye Podium in Shanghai
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton look to turn Ferrari's fortunes around at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. Ferrari's hopes for a strong finish in China hinge on Leclerc and Hamilton's performance.
Leclerc and Hamilton seek to put Mercedes under pressure at the Chinese GP...
Charles Leclerc is hoping the Chinese year of the horse brings Ferrari some luck in Shanghai, after a disappointing 2025 Chinese Grand Prix where both Ferraris were disqualified due to excessive plank wear on their cars.
Leclerc and teammate Lewis Hamilton were sensationally disqualified after finishing fifth and sixth, respectively, with Leclerc's car found to be 1kg underweight and Hamilton's car having excessive skid block wear. Ferrari has issued a statement acknowledging the mistakes and vowing to learn from them.
China celebrated the new year of the horse last month, and Leclerc thinks it could be a good sign for Ferrari, who famously have a prancing horse, or “Cavallino,” on their badges.
“I've been with the team for many years and I've been waiting for the year of the horse since the first year I joined the team,” the driver from Monaco told reporters ahead of this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix.
“I hope that this year is our one, but we are against very tough competition,” added Leclerc, who was third in the season-opener in Australia last weekend.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished third and fourth, respectively, behind Mercedes' George Russell and Kimi Antonelli at the Australian Grand Prix. Russell won the race, with Antonelli securing second place, marking a strong start for Mercedes in the 2026 season.
Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, surprised everyone by winning the sprint race at Shanghai International Circuit last year, despite having a tough debut season with Ferrari in 2025. This victory marked his first win with Ferrari and added to his six previous Shanghai Grand Prix wins.
Lewis Hamilton is feeling more positive this season, but he's keeping his expectations in check. The seven-time world champion believes it's “far too early” to predict whether Ferrari can challenge for the drivers' or constructors' championships.
The massive driver though @PUMA! ✌️ pic.twitter.com/3w3tHgsNn6
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) March 12, 2026
Hamilton's optimism stems from Ferrari's strong start to the season, finishing third and fourth in Australia. Charles Leclerc and Hamilton are hoping to build on this momentum in Shanghai, with Leclerc emphasizing the need to focus on extracting the most from the car. Ferrari is looking to close the gap with Mercedes, who dominated the season opener.
“I think it will still be very tough to beat Mercedes this weekend,” Hamilton told reporters.
“You have to assume the others will be picking up the pace, McLaren will pick up the pace and the second Red Bull will be in the fight as well.
“So I think we will just focus on doing the best job we can and extracting the most from the car.”
Can Ferrari break their Shanghai curse with Leclerc and Hamilton at the helm?
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