LECLERC: KEEP THE FAITH
Charles Leclerc was kept fully in the loop through Ferrari’s negotiations with Lewis Hamilton. Leclerc’s new longterm contract with Ferrari was announced only a week or so before Hamilton’s move, and the 26-year-old says: “These kind of deals are not finalised overnight. It takes time and I was aware of those discussions before signing my deal so it didn’t come out as a surprise after signing.
“It was good the team was transparent [about Hamilton] but it didn’t change anything for me. More than anything, what made me sign for a longer contract was because I believe in the project and have the best chances to have the best car on the grid in the next years.”
Some have interpreted the move for Hamilton as a lack of faith in Leclerc. But Ferrari doesn’t see it that way. He is still its driver for the future.
The intention is for him to stay well beyond Hamilton’s time and Ferrari thinks having such an illustrious team-mate will be good for Leclerc, that he cannot help but learn from Hamilton and become a more complete driver as a result.
The potential dynamic is fascinating. Leclerc’s raw speed is not in doubt. He has 23 pole positions in 123 starts, a hit rate of 18.7% despite rarely having the best car. That speaks volumes, and many believe he could be the fastest driver in F1 over one lap.
Hamilton is no slouch himself, so the one-lap battle between them will be something to see.
Leclerc has ‘only’ five wins, but that ratio is more a reflection of a man outperforming his car’s limitations over one lap than the drivers’ weakness in races.
Nevertheless, Leclerc does still have things to learn. He could do with cutting down the errors, and reading a race and being proactive with the team is an area where Sainz has clearly had an edge.
In many ways Hamilton has most to lose. He’s the bigger name with the greatest-ever career stats. He’s expected to be team leader. But what if Leclerc is consistently faster?
Vasseur will need all his management skills to keep it under control. At the same time, Hamilton and Leclerc is a lineup of formidable strength. If Ferrari can sort its car out, even Red Bull will be worried about what it could achieve.