Charles Leclerc delivers Lewis Hamilton Ferrari boost ahead of blockbuster move
Upon his Ferrari F1 2025 arrival, Lewis Hamilton can expect a car capable of a title challenge, according to future team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton got the latest F1 ‘silly season’ underway in dramatic fashion by announcing that he would leave Mercedes – the team he has raced for since 2013 and claimed six of his seven World titles with – for Ferrari. Only six F1 2024 rounds remain before Hamilton signs off to embark on this new challenge.
While Hamilton has returned to winning ways in F1 2024, claiming a record ninth triumph at Silverstone while also taking victory in Belgium, not since 2021 has he contended for the F1 title.
However, that could change next season after joining Ferrari.
Speaking to The Race and ESPN about what is to come for Ferrari, Leclerc said: “We are seeing quite a lot of gains. We just need time to bring those upgrades on the car.”
So asked if that means it is realistic for Ferrari to challenge for F1 2025 title glory, Leclerc replied: “Yes. It is. That will be the headline!
“Obviously it is a constant process that keeps evolving and the goal is to always make it better.
“So I would say that ’25 will be good, ’26 will be better and ’27 will be even better and we optimise everything. But it’s all relative.
“There is not one team that is getting worse from one year to the other. It’s how much of a step forward the others have done.
“But on our side I have zero doubts that we will make a step forward next year and another one the year after.”
Leclerc already knows what it is like going up against a multi-time World Champion, having spent his first two Ferrari seasons as team-mate to Sebastian Vettel, but now, Leclerc must take on the challenge of being team-mate to statistically F1’s most successful driver of all-time in Hamilton.
And it is a challenge which represents opportunity for Leclerc.
“I will be super curious to see what he has done right for all his career to have had all the success that he’s had,” said Leclerc of Hamilton.
“He has very little weaknesses – well actually, I don’t know any weaknesses of Lewis. He’s a super strong driver, always there, super fast, super consistent.
“It will be super interesting for me to learn from Lewis, as much as showing what I am capable of in the same car as Lewis. These two things motivate me a lot.”
