Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will partner Charles Leclerc at Scuderia Ferrari from 2025. Maranello grabbed the chance to sign the Briton in place of Carlos Sainz . However, Hamilton’s arrival could have an impact on Leclerc’s dynamics within the Italian team. Now, former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve highlighted the importance of the 2025 season for the Monegasque driver.
The Canadian pinpointed compared Charles Leclerc‘s promotion to Ferrari in 2019 to George Russell‘s Mercedes appointment in 2022. Villeneuve claimed that Russell was not given the status of a champion by the Silver Arrows. Leclerc on the other hand, was treated as the golden boy of the Prancing Horse despite not being a champion by that point.
Russell was not brought to Mercedes as a champion, but rather as a young man who had yet to prove his worth. On the contrary, Charles arrived in Ferrari as a champion, when he was not yet.
Jacques Villeneuve told GPfans
Moreover, Jacques Villeneuve highlighted that it was Carlos Sainz who won a race for Ferrari last season and not Leclerc. Subsequently, the former F1 champion emphasized that the power dynamics within Maranello will be more crucial for Charles Leclerc next season rather than Lewis Hamilton.
He was not the one who won a GP with Ferrari last year… It will be interesting to understand the power relations within the Red [Ferrari] next year, which will be decisive for Charles, but not for Lewis.
Jacques Villeneuve stated
Ex-F1 driver claims Charles Leclerc ‘suffering’ from Carlos Sainz’s performance
Carlos Sainz has had an impressive campaign in 2024 so far. The Spanish driver seems motivated to prove his worth to the grid after being replaced by Lewis Hamilton for 2025. However, Charles Leclerc has failed to match Sainz in the first four races.
Former F1 driver Vitantonio Liuzzi claimed that Leclerc was suffering from Sainz’s incredible results this season. Liuzzi admitted that it was unexpected to see the Monegasque driver face such pressure from his teammate this season. However, Leclerc will have a tougher battle next year against Hamilton.
I did not expect to see a Leclerc so under pressure and in trouble this year, he is suffering from the performance of Sainz, who will leave at the end of the season, but Hamilton will arrive in his place; therefore, Leclerc will have an important battle next to him. Vitantonio Liuzzi told Corriere dello Sport
Certainly, Charles Leclerc will need to improve his results this year to re-establish himself as the team leader at Maranello. The Monegasque driver must outperform Hamilton from the get-go next year to ensure that he is not overshadowed by his world-champion teammate at the Scuderia for the coming seasons.
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