Charles Leclerc Ready To 'Show What He's Capable Of' As He Goes Head To Head With Lewis Hamilton

Charles Leclerc is excited about partnering with Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.

Nov 18, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles LeClerc of Monaco (16) celebrates after placing second in the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Charles Leclerc has revealed his excitement about the opportunity to partner with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, as the latter makes a monumental move from Mercedes to Ferrari starting next year after an illustrious 11-season run with the Brackley-based squad.

Starting in January, Hamilton will begin his stint with the renowned Italian team, targeting an unmatched eighth World Championship title. From Leclerc’s perspective, the arrival of Hamilton is a personal milestone and an educational opportunity. In a candid interview with The Gentleman's Journal, as quoted by GP Blog, Leclerc shared his thoughts on the future, stating:

"First, it’s going to be a great opportunity to learn from one of the best ever. Secondly, I think it is going to be an amazing opportunity, also, for me to be able to show what I’m capable of, so I’m really looking forward to it."

Reflecting on his entry into Formula 1 with Alfa Romeo Sauber back in 2018, Leclerc added:

"In the first year [in F1], I remember being super-impressed and intimidated by all these amazing drivers, and Lewis is probably the best out there, so being able to race with him was crazy."

Leclerc has since proven himself a formidable competitor on the track. He spoke about how his mindset changes when racing against top-tier talent like Hamilton,:

“No, no, no – when I’m putting the helmet on, then there’s none of this any more. You change, you don’t think about who is who and you just go for it."

Speaking about his upcoming move at the time of the announcement, Hamilton commented on the importance of driving for the historic team:

“I feel like… it was obviously the hardest decision that I think I’ve ever had to make. Obviously I’ve been with Mercedes for, I think it’s like 26 years they’ve supported me, and we’ve had an absolutely incredible journey together. We’ve created history within the sport, and it’s something I take a lot of pride in and I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved.

“But I think ultimately I’m writing my story and I felt like it was time to start a new chapter.

“Of course, I think for every driver growing up, watching the history, watching Michael Schumacher in his prime, I think probably all of us sit in our garage and see the screen pop up, and you see the driver in the red cockpit and you wonder what it would be like to be surrounded by the red.

“You go to the Italian Grand Prix and you see the sea of red Ferrari fans and you can only stand in awe of that. It’s a team that’s not had huge success recently, since 2007, and I saw it as a huge challenge. Without a doubt, even as a kid, I used to play [on games] as Michael in that car, so it definitely is a dream and I’m really, really excited about it.”