SUMMARY
- Charles Leclerc looks to form a positive relationship with his soon-to-be teammate, Lewis Hamilton.
- Hamilton will joing the team from the 2025 season.
Charles Leclerc has been with Ferrari since the 2019 season. Over the years, he has proved himself to be one of the top drivers in the sport. He has won 5 Grand Prix and has accomplished 23 pole positions. However, he has not won a Championship. From 2025, he will be partnered in Ferrari with Lewis Hamilton who has 7 Championships to his name.
Lewis Hamilton announced that he would be leaving Mercedes after the 2024 season. The duo has been a team for the past 11 years. From the 2025 season, Hamilton will be paired up with Charles Leclerc with Ferrari as they look to finally break the losing streak of the team.
Charles Leclerc looking forward to driving with Lewis Hamilton
With Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari after the 2024 season, he will be paired up with Charles Leclerc. Naturally, the team would like for the 2 drivers to have a good relationship with each other. Hence, Charles has already begun this process. He was asked about Lewis joining the team.
”Lewis is an incredible driver, the most successful in history, and he brings a lot of experience to the team which is a good thing. I have had discussions with Lewis especially when everything was announced and official. We texted each other.”
Aaw Charles talking about Lewis
”Lewis is an incredible driver, the most successful in history, and he brings a lot of experience to the team which is a good thing. I have had discussions with Lewis especially when everything was announced and official. We texted each other.”#F1 pic.twitter.com/v550MGZaJO— Unicorn🦄 (@hamburgerh0tdog) February 13, 2024
There is no doubt that Hamilton will be the more experienced and more accomplished driver in Ferrari. Charles seems to take a positive approach to this. Instead of dreading the challenge, he will be looking forward to learning from him and hopes that the team learns from his experience in developing the car.
If Ferrari is able to build a strong car in the next few years, we can expect a strong battle between Lewis and Charles for the Championship. This should be an interesting battle as both of them have proved to be one of the strongest drivers on the grid.
Who will replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes?
With Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari in 2025, there is an empty spot in one of the top teams in the sport. Mercedes was one of the best teams in the sport for a very long time. Although they have not been able to fight for the Championship in the last 2 years, there is no doubt that the team has the resources to do so.
Looking at the situation for the 2025 season, it looks as though Mercedes can have their pick of the litter. The majority of the current F1 grid will be out of a contract after the upcoming season. So let’s take a look at some of the drivers who will most likely end up with Mercedes.
Carlos Sainz
Since Carlos Sainz joined McLaren in 2019, he has been putting on some impressive performances. After achieving a couple of podiums with McLaren, he signed a contract with Ferrari. Since then, he has won 2 races for the prancing horses. There is no doubt that he will be one of the candidates on Mercedes’ list.
Alex Albon
Although Albon was not impressive when he drove for Red Bull in 2020, he has picked up his performances with Williams Racing. He has impressed a lot of important people in the paddock. A number of top teams including Red Bull and Mercedes have shown interest. However, his contract status has come under doubt.
⚠️ | As per @wearetherace, Kimi Antonelli is likely Mercedes’ first choice to replace Lewis Hamilton in 2025.
Fernando Alonso seems to be plan B.#F1 pic.twitter.com/E9nJUV0owA
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) February 12, 2024
While Williams team principal, James Vowles says Albon has a contract until the end of the 2025 season, The Thai driver seems to be open to negotiating a contract after the 2024 season. If Albon is available for Mercedes in 2025, there is no doubt that the thought would cross Toto’s mind.
Kimi Antonelli
Kimi Antonelli is one of the most exciting prospects in Formula 2. He has won almost every championship he has participated in during his rookie year. This has brought him to the 2024 season with Formula 2 as a Mercedes Junior driver.
Toto Wolff has publically praised Antonelli on multiple occasions. There is no doubt that the Austrian wants the prospect to drive for Mercedes in the future. So if Kimi is able to perform well in F2 this year, he will be the number one choice for the team. If he makes it to F1, he will be the youngest driver to drive an F1 car after Max Verstappen.