Charles Leclerc quizzed on ‘first thought’ in Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari announcement

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc believes Lewis Hamilton’s arrival next year in Maranello is an “opportunity” for Ferrari, and sends a message to the other F1 teams.

Hamilton broke the internet in February when the Briton announced this season would be his 12th and last with Mercedes as he’d signed a multi-year contract with Ferrari.

Charles Leclerc claims Lewis Hamilton’s signing is a ‘huge signal’ to rivals

The announcement was a shock to many, not least his Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, as six months prior Hamilton had put pen to paper on a new two-year contract.

But while Mercedes are now exploring what comes next after their World Champion driver leaves, Ferrari are salivating over the prospect of him finally achieving a record-breaking eighth World title and doing so in red.

For Leclerc, it’s a great opportunity as a driver to learn from the best while it also sends a clear message to Ferrari’s rivals.

“I see it as a super opportunity, for me and for the team, but also for our sport,” he told La Stampa in a wide-ranging interview. “Having a seven-time World Champion in the team is a huge signal that we’re sending out.”

He, however, would not explicitly say what his first reaction was when the announcement was made in February.

Asked for his ‘first thought’ on it, he sidestepped: “Well it wasn’t a surprise, I had known for some time that there were discussions.

“It motivates me a lot to demonstrate what I am capable of and I will be able to learn from one of the best drivers ever.”

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Much has already been written about the 2025 Ferrari line-up as Hamilton, a seven-time F1 World Champion, takes on Leclerc, a six-time Grand Prix winner.

Ferrari, though, is Leclerc’s team with the Monegasque driver having worked his way through the ranks as a Ferrari junior, even making his F1 debut with the Ferrari-powered Sauber team.

“There is great respect, as well as a very good relationship, but perhaps we don’t see each other enough to be friends,” he said.

“I am convinced that our relationship will become closer when he arrives at Ferrari, many worlds unite us. Music too.”

He revealed Hamilton wrote to him when he released his first piano track, saying: “He already knows my music, he wrote to me when the first things came out, we discuss it quite a bit.”

As for Leclerc’s current team-mate Carlos Sainz, the Spaniard continues to look for a new job in Formula 1 where he is being widely linked to Williams and Audi.

Leclerc says he felt “sorry” for his team-mate when the news of Hamilton’s arrival was confirmed.

“After many years I have a wonderful relationship with Carlos,” he said.

“From a personal point of view I was very sorry when I heard the news, on the other hand when you sign with a team there is an expiry date, you don’t know how far away but sooner or later it will arrive and you have to accept it.”

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