Charles Leclerc will have a new teammate in Lewis Hamilton from next year. For a long time, he was a teammate of Carlos Sainz Jr. in the Ferrari camp. Previously, the Monagasque driver had teammates like Sebastian Vettel as well. Hence, Hamilton’s new teammate is not totally new to the pressure of having a world champion as a teammate. Anyhow, the driver from Monaco has become a fan favorite. He has a long-term contract with the Prancing Horse. Now, the question arises: who will be the prime Ferrari driver for next season? Also, people wonder why Lewis Hamilton decided to switch to the Maranello team in 2025.
Is there a possibility that Hamilton got the feeling that Ferrari can dominate the grid starting from the 2026 season? The great Briton moved to Mercedes in 2013. From 2014 to 2020, he won six titles, adding to his first with McLaren in 2008. With so much experience, Hamilton is not likely to make a wrong assessment of the prospect of an F1 car. In 2026, the sport will introduce new regulations. If Ferrari becomes a title contender once again, perhaps Charles Leclerc will have a chance to win his maiden title, too. However, a former Red Bull driver believes the Monagasque driver is too nice to win a championship.
How Is Being Too Nice A Problem For Charles Leclerc And His Dream To Be A World Champion?
Mercedes was unbeatable during the turbo-hybrid era. Similarly, Red Bull has reached another level of domination since 2022. That was the year when the sport introduced the ground effect and cost cap regulations. Clearly, those regulations benefitted the Austrian outfit the most. What if the new regulations in 2026 help Ferrari produce the championship-winning car? It has been over a decade that the Maranello fans waited for them to be on top of the standings. However, Red Bull and Mercedes left no room for Italian manufacturers for 14 years. However, if things start to work for Ferrari in 2026, then Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will be both contenders for the title.
However, in a recent interview with Ziggo Sport, Robert Doornbos, a former Red Bull driver, mentioned the mean streak that Hamilton and the current champion Max Verstappen had; Leclerc didn’t have that. Hence, Robert would bet on Hamilton to take the initiative to fight for the title and not Charles. Moreover, Doornbos mentioned, “Leclerc is too nice to be F1 champion.” He is not as harsh as Hamilton or Verstappen when they make mistakes and deal with their engineers. Hence, the former Red Bull driver predicts that with the right car, Lewis Hamilton will “Just eat it.”
The Monagasque Driver Will Give Tough Competition To The Seven-Time Champion Next Year
A former teammate of Lewis Hamilton and the 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg feels Charles Leclerc never really gets into conflict with his teammates. However, he expects Leclerc to give Lewis a tough fight. Rosberg told Sky Sports that he is looking forward to that dynamic. Moreover, it does not seem likely that things will get spicy as Leclerc is too nice. However, Rosberg believes that, as Charles is the second-best qualifier after Max Verstappen, it is going to be a tough challenge for both Hamilton and his 2025 teammate.
One can possibly say Rosberg feels that Leclerc is the best driver behind Verstappen. But at present, Charles Leclerc just does not have the right car to prove his worth. Moreover, Rosberg told Sky Sports that the level might be too similar between Hamilton and Leclerc. Hence, the 2016 World Champion predicts it will be a great watch.
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