Seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton will don the red suit in 2025 as he officiated his move to Ferrari earlier this year. While his breakup with Mercedes was unprecedented, Lewis argued how he wanted to embrace new challenge and fulfil his childhood dream of driving the red car.
Lewis Hamilton’s departure had ripple effects on Mercedes as they are left with a vacant seat which needs to be filled in the next six months. On the flip side, while Ferrari rejoices Hamilton’s impending arrival, his soon-to-be teammate Charles Leclerc will have a target on his back next year.
Having Lewis Hamilton As Teammate Will Put Extra Pressure On Charles Leclerc, Claims F1 Pundit
Charles Leclerc joined Ferrari back in 2019 as a promising young talent from Sauber. However, the Monegasque hasn’t necessarily witnessed the success that he should have had, given his talent and skills. On top of that, Carlos Sainz has been constantly outperforming Charles for the past two seasons. While Ferrari agreed to an extension contract with Leclerc earlier this year, the 26-year-old won’t stay immune to pressure to perform, especially after the arrival of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Former F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve brought up a similar point to state how Hamilton’s partnership will either make or break Leclerc’s career at Ferrari. “He’s shown a lot of speed. But he’s not the one who won the race for Ferrari last year,” said Villeneuve.
The former champion further added that Charles Leclerc was brought from Sauber because Ferrari saw a potential world champion in the Monegasque. But unfortunately, the expectations haven’t been translated on track. And now that a seven-time world champion is coming on board, Leclerc will be under extra pressure to outperform his qualified teammate and prove his worth. While Charles Leclerc has driven with a champion driver like Sebastian Vettel before, fighting with a fierce Lewis Hamilton is a different ball game, as the latter has nothing left to prove. And Leclerc is carrying a chip on his shoulder due to repeated failures against his own teammate, Carlos Sainz. “This will be make or break for Charles, not for Lewis,” Villeneuve added. That is not to say Leclerc won’t benefit from Hamilton’s presence. But the pressure will undoubtedly multiply.
“It Will Help Charles The Driver,” Fred Vasseur On Hamilton’s Impending Ferrari Arrival
Ferrari team principal and the mastermind behind Lewis Hamilton coup, Fred Vasseur doubled down on the idea of the seven time world champion being a mentor for Charles Leclerc. He said that Hamilton’s experience and speed is exactly what Ferrari needs right now to move up in the pecking order.
Vasseur added that he is confident that the two soon-to-be teammates, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, are getting along well. In fact, the British driver will only help Leclerc thrive as a driver. “It’s not just the performance in the car, in qualifying or the race. It’s also 365 days a year, and on this, I think Lewis is an absolute master,” said Vasseur.
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