Charles Leclerc ‘won’t be afraid’ of Lewis Hamilton: “The challenge will raise him”
“Charles has come on in a long way this year. The challenge will raise him to the level that he and Ferrari need.”
Ex-F1 driver Johnny Herbert has tipped Charles Leclerc to up his game ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s arrival in 2025.
Leclerc will team up with Hamilton at Ferrari in 2025, but teaming up with a multiple-time world champion isn’t unfamiliar territory for the Monegasque.
During Leclerc’s first two years at Ferrari, he was alongside Sebastian Vettel.
Across the two seasons, Leclerc had a clear upper hand, ultimately resulting in Vettel leaving the team.
While Carlos Sainz has posed a respectable challenge, Leclerc has remained Ferrari’s best bet for a title pursuit.
Speaking to Plejmo.com, Herbert backed Leclerc not to hold back when Hamilton arrives next year.
“Charles [Leclerc] is not going to hold back,” Herbert said. “When [Sebastian] Vettel went there as a four-time world champion, Charles came in and nicked the team off Sebastian. He is not going to be afraid of Lewis [Hamilton].
“He will be aware and respectful, and he knows he will be a threat. But he is going to make sure he will be very much on top of his game when hostilities commence.
“Charles has come on in a long way this year. The challenge will raise him to the level that he and Ferrari need.”
Ferrari set launch date for 2025 F1 car
It’s not even 2025, and Ferrari have set a launch date for their new challenger.
The 2025 Ferrari F1 car will be launched on 19 February – a day after the sport’s inaugural season launch.
Teams are expected to bring show cars to ‘F1 75 Live’, with teams still allowed to do their own separate launches.
In recent years, Ferrari have launched their cars before giving them a shakedown at their own track in Fiorano.
That could give Hamilton an early taste of his new Ferrari ahead of the pre-season testing in late February.
With a sharp eye for F1’s controversies and storylines, Connor is the heartbeat of our unbiased reporting.
