Lewis Hamilton data reveal made by Charles Leclerc as big Ferrari partnership looms

Charles Leclerc is looking forward to learning alongside Lewis Hamilton next year, saying his data shows no weaknesses as a driver.

Hamilton leaves Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of 2024 and will partner up with Ferrari hero Charles Leclerc next season for what is sure to form one of F1’s most potent teammate pairings.

Charles Leclerc: I’m really looking forward to Lewis Hamilton partnership

With a seven-time F1 World Champion coming into ‘his’ team, at which Leclerc has become beloved having risen into F1 as part of Ferrari’s Driver Academy, Leclerc has rubbished any speculation that he might be miffed about the change of dynamic in 2025.

Speaking in an interview with the BBC , Leclerc said that he can only improve as a driver working alongside Hamilton, revealing that data analysis of Hamilton’s driving shows that the seven-time F1 World Champion, as might be expected, shows little by way of weakness.
Asked whether he believes he can beat Hamilton next year, he said: “I need to be convinced that I am the fastest driver when I put the helmet on, but I am really looking forward to it, and it will be super-interesting for me.
“I have always said you learn from every single team-mate you have over your career. When I look at the way he drives – because we always look at each other and data – you don’t really see any weaknesses. And that’s where Lewis is incredible. He’s only got strengths.
“So I’m really looking forward to seeing how he works with his engineers, the feedback, and all of these kinds of things, to learn and become better.”
While Leclerc had been positioned as the leader of Ferrari , the arrival of Hamilton – given his prestige – challenges that position, and the Monegasque driver denied that he felt it was a blow to suggest Ferrari have lost confidence in his ability to challenge for the title.

“Not at all,” he said. “Because Ferrari is Ferrari. And they need the best drivers in their cars. So, for the benefit of Ferrari, it is completely understandable.

“For me, I don’t see any negative in that, because it’s Lewis Hamilton.

“For me, it’s an incredible opportunity. First, to learn from the most successful driver ever. And to prove myself as well against Lewis, who is a benchmark for everybody.”
Leclerc and Hamilton are frequently spotted in conversation together on the pre-race driver parades, although the Monegasque has explained there isn’t too much chat about Ferrari just yet while Hamilton is still a Mercedes driver.

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Meanwhile, Hamilton’s former McLaren teammate Jenson Button – who proved a close match for Hamilton during their three years together between 2010 and ’12 – believes the seven-time Champion is better equipped to have a good relationship with Leclerc than he would have been able to a few years ago.

“I think if it was the Lewis of seven or eight years ago, it would be a tricky relationship,” he told the Sky F1 podcast.

“But now he just seems so relaxed in himself and I don’t think they’re going to have issues being team-mates at all, no more than Carlos [Sainz] and Charles have right now.

“Do I think they’ll work well together? Yes.

“I think the positives that Charles has is that he knows the team, and speaks Italian.

“If he wanted to, he could make it really, really difficult for Lewis in that team, the atmosphere.

“And you can say: ‘That’s not sportsmanlike’ – but that’s part of racing.

“Nico Rosberg will tell you that as well: it’s about getting the team of people behind you, so that gives you strength and it takes away strength from your team-mate.

“But Lewis has been around long enough to understand the situation and I’m really, really looking forward to that fight between team-mates.”

With Hamilton aiming for a record-breaking eighth world title, Button believes Hamilton can’t afford to be “out for himself” and will need to adjust to racing for Ferrari and the team’s ambitions over his own.

“Obviously, they’re working together. They’re Ferrari, it’s all about Ferrari,” he said.

“That’s the one thing with Ferrari. In every other team, you can say the driver’s out for himself. And the team, obviously.

“But in Ferrari, everyone works for Ferrari. It’s all about Ferrari winning the World Championships.

“It’s definitely a different way of racing for someone like Lewis, who is such a star in this sport and suddenly he’s working for Ferrari to win the Championship.

“I look forward to seeing the dynamic there and that’s going to be very exciting next year.”

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