Charles Leclerc Warned By F1 CEO About Lewis Hamilton - 'Not An Easy Teammate'
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has been warned by Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali about his new teammate Lewis Hamilton, set to join the team next year. With the seven-time world champion bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to Ferrari, Domenicali believes Leclerc will have to come to terms with the fact that having Hamilton as his teammate is not easy.
Leclerc showcased his racing strength on several race weekends this year, leading him to secure three Grand Prix victories. On the other hand, Hamilton faced a difficult season as he struggled with the pace and handling of his Mercedes W15 F1 car. Despite winning two races at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, the season was largely disappointing for the Briton. However, his ability to win on race tracks where his car delivered excellent performance hints that he could excel at Ferrari if he is handed a dominant car.
While this year saw conflicts between Leclerc and Carlos Sainz at Ferrari, mostly on issues related to team orders, Domenicali believes the Monegasque driver will have to prepare himself for having a teammate who comes with a much better track record. He said:
“Charles will, of course, have to accept that someone like Lewis is not an easy teammate.
“Lewis will definitely have the ability to convey his positivity in his efforts to achieve his record.
“They respect each other a lot, and I hope they will continue to do so at the end of the year.”
However, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur admitted that he was not worried about the new partnership between Leclerc and Hamilton, considering the "huge mutual respect" they have for each other. Even if a conflict did arise in the future, Vasseur acknowledged that it would be a good issue to have. He said:
"You know that it's always a challenge.
"I have my challenge this year between Charles and Carlos, but I think it was part of the performance.
"I'm really convinced that the emulation into the team is key for the performance of the team, and between Charles and Carlos, we had some moments.
"But at the end of the day, I think it was beneficial for the performance of the team. Charles, Lewis, I'm not particularly worried about this.
"They have a huge mutual respect, they know each other, they are speaking about this for months now. And I think it's much better to fight for 1-2 or 2-3 on the grid than to fight for 19-20.
"And I think it's a good issue for a team to have this kind of discussion, this kind of approach. And I'm really convinced again that the performance of the team is coming also from the emulation between the two."