Lewis Hamilton has formally joined Scuderia Ferrari, establishing one of the vital fascinating dynamics of the 2025 Components 1 marketing campaign: his relationship with Charles Leclerc. For now, the 2 drivers appear to have a great rapport.
Hamilton and Charles Leclerc share mutual pursuits past racing, resembling style and music. They even organized a meet-up for his or her canines, Roscoe and Leo, throughout final yr’s British Grand Prix. On the monitor, they seem to share comparable values; Charles Leclerc even criticized Max Verstappen’s ways towards Lewis Hamilton within the 2021 season to the race director.
The crucial query stays: can they preserve concord whereas competing in equal equipment? The Monegasque driver, who has been with Ferrari since 2019, has outperformed his earlier teammates, Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz. Nonetheless, Lewis Hamilton poses his hardest problem but, even when this isn’t the height model of the seven-time world champion. Hamilton may additionally face a interval of adjustment within the first half of the 2025 Components 1 season.
Naomi Schiff speculates that Charles Leclerc may unsettle Lewis Hamilton by speaking with Ferrari engineers in Italian. Nonetheless, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya gives a special perspective.
Juan Pablo Montoya predicts that Lewis Hamilton’s arrival would possibly disrupt Ferrari’s inside peace, creating doubts in Leclerc’s thoughts. He suggests that in negotiations, Ferrari could have provided Hamilton preferential therapy, together with a stronger say in automotive growth, to entice him away from Mercedes. This state of affairs may make Leclerc anxious and result in emotional reactions.
Juan Pablo Montoya cited Charles Leclerc’s conduct throughout the Las Vegas GP on the finish of final season for instance. Annoyed by Carlos Sainz’s refusal to observe staff orders as anticipated, Leclerc vented angrily over the radio after the race. Regardless of engineer Bryan Bozzi’s makes an attempt to pacify him, Charles Leclerc lamented that “being good” appeared to get him nowhere, exhibiting a extra assertive facet.
The previous Components 1 driver expressed uncertainty concerning the stage of concord inside Ferrari, suggesting that Charles Leclerc won’t absolutely cooperate. He speculated on the challenges the staff may face with Lewis Hamilton’s arrival as a teammate, noting that such a scenario could lead on Charles Leclerc to query whether or not Hamilton enjoys superior therapy or precedence throughout the staff. Montoya believed Hamilton possible has a transparent understanding of his position and that Ferrari’s administration, of their discussions with him, would have been specific about giving him important affect, together with main automotive growth and having his preferences prioritized.
Referring to Charles Leclerc’s frustration throughout the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Montoya remarked that the Monegasque had already proven his assertive facet and left it open to see how the dynamic would unfold.
Charles Leclerc faces the problem of dwelling as much as the expectations that earned him his iconic nickname. His partnership with Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari could be comparatively short-lived, as Hamilton’s present contract extends solely till the tip of 2026, with an choice to proceed into 2027 if each events agree. Nonetheless, the long-term future at Ferrari is already being speculated, with Oliver Bearman broadly thought to be the staff’s subsequent rising star, supplied he performs properly at Haas alongside Esteban Ocon.
The Monegasque, although, can’t afford to focus an excessive amount of on the distant future. His precedence should be to grab the chance offered by Hamilton’s tenure and intention for championship glory earlier than the seven-time world champion departs. Profitable at the least one title throughout this time wouldn’t solely solidify his place as one of many greats but additionally assert his dominance throughout the staff. Triumphing within the high-stakes intra-team rivalry with Hamilton whereas lifting the coveted vase-shaped championship trophy could be the final word validation of his potential.
Years in the past, a younger Charles Leclerc boldly declared that he would by no means enable a teammate to take the championship forward of him. That defiant assertion earned him the moniker ‘Il Predestinato’ (The Predestined), a title steeped in expectations of greatness. Now, as he stands on the cusp of his largest check but, it’s time for him to show that the nickname wasn’t only a reflection of youthful bravado however a real testomony to his future in Components 1.