Charles Leclerc has his say on “rumour” of "different path" to Lewis Hamilton

Ferrari enter this weekend’s F1 Bahrain Grand Prix with a whisper from Italy that their drivers are following different ways to unlock the SF-25.

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have endured an underwhelming start to the 2025 F1 campaign.

Ferrari have brought a new floor to Bahrain in a major bid to revitalise their hopes.

Hamilton, after the Japanese Grand Prix, insisted his car was at a deficit to teammate Leclerc’s.

But they have also had to deal with suggestions from the Italian media that Leclerc is determined to go in a completely different direction to Hamilton.

Leclerc has denied a claim from Corriere dello Sport that he told engineers and team principal Fred Vasseur "that's enough, I'm going my own way”.

The newspaper called this “disruptive” because Vasseur has been focused on Hamilton’s feedback, since the superstar’s arrival, they alleged.

Leclerc denied the newspaper’s interpretation of his words, which was: "I will go to Sakhir with a different vision of the tests. I have a very clear direction that I want to take for what my driving style is, and I hope it pays off."

Leclerc has shot down this claim.

Ferrari 'rumour' denied by Charles Leclerc

"I don't understand how these rumours came about,” he told Sky Italia.

“What I said I reiterate here and there are no negative things: there is a direction taken that I found very interesting to work in and in which I want to continue to push.

“But there is nothing I have seen and read about the fact that we are going down very different paths.

“We're all here to maximise the potential of the car, and if I'm comfortable putting the car in a different 'place', then it's good for everyone."

Ferrari lag 76 points behind leaders McLaren in the constructors’ championship after just three rounds.

Hamilton’s sprint race win in China was a brief ray of light to an otherwise difficult start.

Hamilton claimed in Japan that Ferrari are aware of his problem in the car, and were working on a fix.

The floor that will be introduced this weekend in Bahrain therefore has big hopes attached to it.

However, it arrives amid fear that it has been rushed through  and was originally planned for Round 6 in Miami.