No Mercy for Lewis Hamilton As Charles Leclerc Sends Open Challenge for Ferrari Partnership

Things are switching up at Ferrari next season. Pooling their enormous resources, the team has secured a deal with Lewis Hamilton now. And Charles Leclerc has also agreed to race for the Italian team for the next few years. So, it looks like Leclerc and Hamilton will form a new pair in 2025. It will be the first time that Lewis will be seen in the legendary Ferrari reds. But does this mean that Leclerc will not pack up the challenge on his new teammate?

In February 2024, Hamilton announced he would switch teams to drive for Ferrari in 2025. By breaking allegiance with Mercedes after 12 years, Lewis will not just move to a new squad, but an entirely new country. At 39 years of age, the multi-year Scuderia contract will have the Stevenage native step out of his comfort zone, as he will have to adjust to his new surroundings. And while he could have expected his future teammate Charles Leclerc to go a bit easy on him during this time, the Monegasque has refused to do so.

During a recent interview, Leclerc talked about how he would welcome Lewis Hamilton into Ferrari. The 26-year-old made it quite clear that he would not give the Briton a leeway. “No, no, no – when I’m putting the helmet on, then there’s none of this [showing mercy to Hamilton] anymore. You change, you don’t think about who is who and you just go for it,” Charles Leclerc told The Gentleman’s Journal.

via Reuters

Even though Leclerc has admitted he will not relax when Lewis Hamilton debuts as his teammate, the Monegasque is happy to pair up with him.

Charles Leclerc expresses joy at Lewis Hamilton coming to Ferrari

In 2025, Lewis Hamilton will jump ships to go to Ferrari with a never-before-heard contract worth $100 million per year. And greeting him as his new teammate will be Charles Leclerc at the Maranello headquarters of the Scuderia. “I’m really excited about this new challenge,” Leclerc said about Hamilton’s arrival.

via Reuters

“I have so much respect for Lewis and everything he has achieved and it’s definitely going to be a big moment of my career to be against Lewis, obviously working together to bring Ferrari back on top,” Leclerc further added. So, the 26-year-old does feel happy about pairing up with Lewis Hamilton. Yet, he does not want to give it easy to him.

Next year, when Lewis Hamilton joins forces with Charles Leclerc, what do you expect from this new pair? Do you think they can bring a Championship trophy for Ferrari?