Lewis Hamilton says the work ethic of “Mr Ferrari” Charles Leclerc is what has shocked him most about his new Method 1 team-mate on the Scuderia.
Hamilton’s blockbuster transfer from Mercedes to hitch Ferrari means he turns into Leclerc’s third team-mate within the Monegasque’s now seven-year stint in pink – after Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz.
Each Hamilton and Sainz have been requested to present their opinions on Leclerc within the pre-event press convention for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix – with how Ferrari’s new line-up in the end examine set to be one of many greatest speaking factors of the brand new marketing campaign.
After initially joking “beside his nice hair?”, Hamilton mentioned: “What shocked me most? Nicely, I’d say work ethic. It has been actually good.
“I did not know [that before], you do not know what occurs behind closed doorways.
“Naturally, I believe each driver works actually arduous, however everybody has a unique methodology and the way they obtain that final efficiency.
“And it has been actually attention-grabbing to see, his shouldn’t be too dissimilar to mine. And also you simply see a hardworking child, simply getting on with it.
“He is clearly been within the workforce a very long time. It is his second workforce – clearly the workforce he was with earlier than was, was comparatively quick there, after which he is had this superb time at Ferrari.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Pictures
“And so, he’s very a lot Mr Ferrari and it has been actually cool to work alongside him and I am actually trying ahead to working alongside him for the yr.”
Sainz, who has moved to Williams for 2025 after being squeezed out of Ferrari by its cope with Hamilton, in contrast strongly in opposition to Leclerc of their 4 seasons as team-mates.
He prompt his former colleague is now hitting a high-point in his profession – with Leclerc’s 2024 season thought of by many F1 observers to be his finest within the class to this point.
It featured little in the way in which of the wild crashing that marred his early seasons and contained a number of spectacular wins – notably these at Monaco and Monza.
“I believe nobody wants to speak about his expertise and his pace – everybody is aware of that,” Sainz mentioned.
“I believe he is doing an unimaginable job and he is a part of that workforce development that Ferrari has seen not too long ago. And in that Ferrari has a fantastic ambassador additionally. And in addition, good on him – good job.
“He is been progressing each as a driver, but in addition as a human being all these years and he is now in all probability in one among his sweetest spots of his profession. He feels mature, snug and doubtless able to win. So, let’s examine what they will do that yr.”
On this article
Alex Kalinauckas
Method 1
Lewis Hamilton
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
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