Hamilton shrugs off Leclerc's brakes change: 'It doesn't make any difference to me'

Leclerc's outburst following his retirement at his home race just under a week ago caused quite a stir regarding Ferrari's brake issues, with Brembo even issuing a statement in response to the Monegasque's comments. Throughout the Monaco weekend, he repeatedly complained about problems under braking, concerns that ultimately culminated in the incident that forced him out of the race shortly after the Safety Car restart.

Speaking to GPBlog among other media, Hamilton explained that he first switched to the current brake configuration back in Japan after pushing for the change for quite some time. The seven-time world champion stressed that he is constantly evaluating every aspect of the car in an effort to improve performance, describing the choice of brakes as a matter of driver preference, feel and preparation rather than a decisive performance differentiator.

According to Hamilton, both Ferrari drivers tested the same option, but Leclerc ultimately decided against using it and opted for a different setup. Now, however, the Monegasque has changed his mind and is set to adopt the same configuration as his teammate. Hamilton insisted that the switch makes little difference from his perspective and reiterated that the brake choice alone is not responsible for the performance gap between them.

Speaking to the media, including GPBlog, on Thursday, Leclerc indicated that his assessment of the Monaco crash has not changed since the incident. The Ferrari driver explained that he had already reviewed the circumstances in detail before commenting publicly and therefore saw little reason to revisit the matter ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.

However, the Monegasque revealed that Ferrari is expected to make some adjustments to the car's configuration this weekend, changes that are likely to include the brake setup after the difficulties he experienced in Monaco. Leclerc suggested that the revised configuration should make the car easier to handle in certain situations, although he was careful to temper expectations regarding the overall impact.

According to Leclerc, the changes are not expected to fundamentally alter the behaviour of the SF-26 or deliver a dramatic step forward in performance. Instead, the aim is to improve drivability and provide a more manageable feeling behind the wheel in specific circumstances where he has recently struggled. He stressed that it remains too early to draw firm conclusions about the effectiveness of the modifications, as he has yet to experience them in competitive running.