Charles Leclerc Hints at Failed Tow Plan with Lewis Hamilton After Disappointing Qualifying for Italian GP

Charles Leclerc lamented not being provided a tow by Lewis Hamilton in his hunt for a pole position at Ferrari's home race of the Italian GP.

Charles Leclerc Hints at Failed Tow Plan with Lewis Hamilton After Disappointing Qualifying for Italian GP

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc (via Getty)

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Ferrari was the team to watch as the Italian fans hold a special place in their heart for the home team. The Scuderia was expected to come up with their A-game in Monza and achieve a great start for the main race of the Italian GP. However, Charles Leclerc could only manage a P4 start for the race, with Lewis Hamilton initially qualifying P5 but being demoted to P10 following a penalty he picked up at the previous Dutch GP.

Charles Leclerc seemed strong from the beginning of the race weekend and was on par for a pole position. Come Q3 session, Leclerc even lodged a good enough lap to remain in the battle for the pole. However, the McLarens and Max Verstappen outpaced the Monegasque and caused him to dwindle to the P4 spot. Lewis Hamilton did not have an amazing outing either, as his final lap was only good enough to get him a P5 start for the Italian GP.

Lewis Hamilton was hit with a brutal penalty and will start the Italian GP from the P10 spot. However, mid-way through the Qualifying session, Leclerc was right behind Hamilton at one point in the Q3 session. At the time, the Briton could have helped his Monegasque counterpart and given him a tow on track. As depicted by the events, the seven-time champion did not do so, and the 27-year-old only qualified in P4.

Charles Leclerc now opened up on the situation and revealed his thoughts on not being given a tow by Lewis Hamilton, who seemed to have nothing to lose. Leclerc initially pointed out that his first lap was great, but it went under the radar, especially with the rival’s dominant pace. The 27-year-old added that a tow from Hamilton could have been handled differently by Ferrari, giving him a slight advantage on track.

I think my first lap…sadly it’s one of those laps that goes under the radar but it was great. P4 it’s the best we could do. A tow? It could have been handled differently, but it is how it is.

Charles Leclerc said in a post-session interview

Fred Vasseur reveals Ferrari’s reasoning behind ‘not giving’ Charles Leclerc a tow

Ferrari wanted to make a decision in the best interest of both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. If Hamilton were to give a tow to Leclerc, he could have lost out on crucial lap time and suffered from an even worse starting position from P10. As such, Fred Vasseur opened up on the matter and revealed the reason behind not intervening between the two drivers out on the track.

Charles Leclerc and Fred Vasseur (via IMAGO)
Charles Leclerc and Fred Vasseur (via IMAGO)

Fred Vasseur pointed out that one car had to be sacrificed in order to help the other driver get the best lap time possible. However, Vasseur believed that it was more important to keep both drivers in a positive mood. Moreover, the Frenchman highlighted that if Hamilton gave a tow to Charles Leclerc, he would be focused on all the wrong things in his car and ruin his chances. As such, it was imperative to focus on individual drivers’ pace and not force them to help each other.

With this story of maximum lap time, if you do it, you have to sacrifice one car and it’s important for the team and for the two drivers to be in a positive mood. Could work but could also not work at all. Even for Charles – [if given a tow] you are much more focused on the tow and the car in front of you than on tyre preparation, and tyre preparation is so important today that we decided to focus on our own pace.

Fred Vasseur said in a post-session interview

Ferrari’s performance in the 2025 season has been mediocre, to say the least. Still, the team has managed to maintain its runner-up spot in the constructors’ standings. Still, Mercedes remains a looming threat to the Italian constructor in their ambitions to hold onto their positions. As such, the Scuderia must put forth an impressive performance, especially in front of the home crowd.

Read More: Max Verstappen Warns Fans From Having High Hopes After Shock Italian GP Pole