Charles Leclerc identifies impact Lewis Hamilton will have on Ferrari

Charles Leclerc believes Lewis Hamilton’s arrival will have an “extremely positive” impact on Ferrari in F1 2025.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton will complete one of the biggest driver transfers in F1 history when he leaves Mercedes to join the Italian team on a multi-year deal from next season.

Leclerc is excited to go head-to-head against F1’s most successful driver in equal machinery and says it will be “extremely interesting” to learn from the 39-year-old, who the Monegasque considers to be “one of the best ever”.

“I mean, obviously, extremely positive,” Leclerc told the Beyond the Grid podcast when asked what kind of impact Hamilton’s arrival will have on Ferrari.

“I think when a champion like Lewis gets to any team, it brings a lot of motivation out of every single person out of the team.

“The first really positive effect it will have on Ferrari, and obviously he will come also, along with all the experience that he’s had over the years with Mercedes, a different way of working, a different vision, and this is always benefiting a team.

“For me, it’s going to be amazing, because I’ll have in the same car as me the most successful driver in F1 history. And that will be both extremely interesting for me to learn from one of the best ever, as well as a really big challenge and motivation to beat Lewis and to show what I’m capable of.”

Hamilton will be Leclerc’s third teammate in seven years at Ferrari, following fellow multiple world champion Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz. Leclerc comfortably outperformed Vettel over two years and has largely had the upper hand against Sainz.

Asked how he would feel if he was able to beat Hamilton in the same car, Leclerc responded: “I don’t know and, to be honest, I don’t even think about that yet.

“I just try and focus on myself, try to be the best version of me once he gets here. Obviously, try to be the best version of me every time I’m on track, but with Lewis joining the team, he will definitely be a benchmark, so it will be very important for me to be on my top level, and then we’ll see how it goes.

“I’ll give my best, he will give his best, and then we’ll see, and I can tell you after that, if I make it, how does that feel.”

Leclerc says he has been spending more time getting to know Hamilton this year.

“Everything is relative, but inside the paddock, he’s definitely one of the drivers in which, recently especially, we have spoken the most out of our passions, especially music and fashion,” he said.

“So it was good to exchange about this subject, especially, but then outside the track, it’s not like we have been spending so much time together yet.

“But that obviously will happen once he joins the team with all the extra duty we have outside the track, we’ll get to know each other even more.”