Lewis Hamilton shares surprise little-known Ferrari privilege not given to Charles Leclerc

Lewis Hamilton revealed that Ferrari allows him to participate in skydiving with the same luxury not afforded to teammate Charles Leclerc.

The Ferrari duo, who are gearing up for this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, inadvertently came across the different set of rules during an interview open to the public.

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Hamilton, a long-time skydiving enthusiast, spoke of his affection for the Red Bull Ring before sharing one of his future ambitions.

“I’d love to skydive here, I think it’s a beautiful place,” he said. “I’d love to skydive into the track one day.”

An inquisitive Leclerc then asked: “Oh, does Ferrari allow you?” to which the seven-time world champion replied, “yeah”.

A puzzled Leclerc uttered, “They don’t with me,” prompting a surprised Hamilton to say ‘really?’

Leclerc then joked: ”They don’t trust me, maybe with a parachute!”

The Ferrari pair have enjoyed a promising start to the F1 season with Hamiton sitting second and Leclerc fourth in the standings.

Hamilton picked up his first win since 2024 at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix earlier this month.

The win has put him in the mix for this year’s title as he looks to eclipse the record seven world titles he shares with Michael Schumacher.

Rome wasn’t built in a day

Hamilton endured a difficult first season at Ferrari, where he registered no podium finishes on his way to picking up just 146 points.

But there is huge cause for optimism this time round with the 41-year-old showing signs of his old self once more as he looks to close down 46-point leader Kimi Antonelli at the top of the standings.

Speaking to talkSPORT on Friday, Formula One analyst Gunther Steiner expressed his delight at Hamilton’s impressive start to the season and claims the British driver is now comfortable in a Ferrari car.

“I’m positively surprised. Last year we were all a little bit disappointed with what Lewis was doing, me included,” the former Haas Formula One team principal said.

“But he’s made a strong comeback and he’s showed us what he’s able to do when he’s comfortable with the car 

“He didn’t like the last car, but with the new regulations he seems to be thinking more of his timing in what he likes to drive.

“It’s fantastic to see him win again, for everyone.

“Even people who are not his fans but seeing Lewis coming back is great.”

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Asked whether Hamilton could build on his solid start and be a contender for the world title this season, Steiner added: “For sure, he will be there but I still think that Mercedes has got the leading car.

“And they’ve got two very good drivers in Kimi Antonelli and George Russell.

“But you never know. If Ferrari keeps doing what they did in the first five races of the season and get better and better, he could have a chance.”