Leclerc was ‘shocked and dissatisfied’ over Ferrari’s Hamilton transfer
- Hamilton’s bombshell £40m transfer to Ferrari was confirmed final week
- Leclerc signed a multi-year extension per week earlier than the deal was introduced
- The Monegasque faces an enormous problem to maintain his No 1 place throughout the group
Charles Leclerc was reportedly ‘shocked and dissatisfied’ to find that Lewis Hamilton could be his Ferrari team-mate for the 2025 season.
Hamilton’s bombshell £40m change from Mercedes was introduced final week, with the seven-time world champion set to see out the rest of his Formula One profession with the game’s most well-known group.
The information got here only one week after Ferrari introduced that Leclerc had signed a multi-year extension with the Scuderia – with Hamilton set to exchange his present team-mate Carlos Sainz.
Leclerc is seen as one of many quickest outright drivers on the grid and has had the measure of all of his team-mates since he stepped as much as F1 in 2018.
However, being joined by arguably the best driver of his era poses an enormous problem for the 26-year-old and Corriere dello Sport declare that Leclerc and his entourage weren’t glad upon listening to the information.
Lewis Hamilton will turn into Charles Leclerc’s team-mate at Ferrari for the 2025 season
Leclerc was reportedly ‘shocked and dissatisfied’ to listen to about Hamilton’s arrival
Leclerc ‘had no concept’ of Hamilton becoming a member of the group when his Ferrari extension was revealed per week prior
The Italian publication report that he was ‘shocked and dissatisfied’ by Ferrari’s choice and that he had ‘no concept what was about to occur’.
This is regardless of the Monegasque driver hinting that Hamilton would turn into his Ferrari team-mate final season.
Leclerc was requested what he ‘appears for in a team-mate’ within the wake of Mail Sport’s world unique final May that Ferrari have been in talks with Hamilton.
The Monegasque driver laughed on the query earlier than trying over at Hamilton and saying: ‘Hello Lewis’.
The British driver, wearing Mercedes gear, can then be seen smiling awkwardly.
There had been reviews from Marca that Leclerc is relishing the problem, as he’ll both beat a seven-time world champion or lose to the most effective in historical past.
Hamilton, who will flip 40 subsequent yr, has lengthy dreamed of being a Ferrari driver.
Speaking about his exit from Mercedes on social media, Hamilton wrote: ‘After an unbelievable 11 years at Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 group, the time has come for me to begin a brand new chapter in my life and I might be becoming a member of Scuderia Ferrari in 2025.
Leclerc might be hoping for an enhance Ferrari problem this season after failing to win a race in 2023
‘I really feel extremely lucky, after attaining issues with Mercedes that I may solely have dreamed of as a child, that I now have the prospect to fulfil one other childhood dream. Driving in Ferrari pink.’
Ferrari haven’t gained a drivers’ championship since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007, with the Finn and Felipe Massa serving to the Scuderia to what’s their final constructors’ championship only one yr later.
Leclerc might be hoping for an improved Ferrari problem this season after failing to win a race through the 2023 marketing campaign.
