Charles Leclerc is one of the most exciting talents in Formula 1. The Monegasque driver solidified his place at Scuderia Ferrari in recent years after securing the longest contract in Maranello’s history. However, the 26-year-old served as a reserve driver in F1 before making his debut in 2018 with Alfa Romeo Sauber. During his stint as an F1 reserve, Leclerc met F1 legend Lewis Hamilton.
The 2016 Brazilian GP was one of the most thrilling races of the season. The wet weather conditions forced race control to bring up the red flag. Subsequently, drivers waited in the pitlane. Lewis Hamilton’s car was parked near the end of the pitlane, right beside the Haas garage. As such, the 39-year-old decided to take a trip to the American team.
Charles Leclerc was a reserve driver for Haas that weekend. The then-19-year-old was leaning on a wall right beside the garage of the American team. As such, Leclerc was standing close to Lewis Hamilton who was greeting members of the Haas F1 team including Guenther Steiner. The F1 coverage captured this moment of the Monegasque driver staring at the world champion. However, no one would’ve known that the two would go head-to-head just a few years down the line.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton would fight for wins less than 3 years after this race
Charles Leclerc made his F1 debut with Alfa Romeo Sauber in 2018 before being promoted to Ferrari in 2019. The Monegasque driver matched his world-champion teammate Sebastian Vettel from the get-go. Subsequently, Leclerc found himself going wheel-to-wheel with Lewis Hamilton for race victories. With the Ferrari driver taking two wins in his first season at Maranello.
Leclerc and Hamilton would continue to go head-to-head in the coming years. Although, the Briton had the advantage courtesy of rapid Mercedes machinery. Nevertheless, Ferrari outpaced the Silver Arrows at the start of the ground-effect era in F1. Many reckon that Charles Leclerc could outperform Lewis Hamilton in a two-way battle for the title.
Certainly, Charles Leclerc remains keen on claiming the F1 world title. The Monegasque driver has fought with Lewis Hamilton on track on numerous occasions. However, the two drivers are yet to battle against one another for the championship. Fans would be hoping to see Leclerc and Hamilton potentially take a shot at the title in 2024.
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