The struggling Charles Leclerc will benefit from the arrival of Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari in 2025, according to team principal Fred Vasseur. The Scuderia announced in the winter that Hamilton would join next year.
Leclerc has found himself somewhat in the shadow of outgoing teammate Carlos Sainz this season. Even though Sainz missed the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix through illness, he’s within four points of the Monegasque in the standings.
Speaking to Radio France, Vasseur explained how racing alongside Hamilton could help him. Sainz has been responsible for Ferrari’s last three victories, with Leclerc’s victory drought stretching back to the 2022 Austrian GP.
While Leclerc won the qualifying battle at the season-opener in Bahrain, Sainz passed him on race day as he struggled with temperature issues. Then, in Australia, it was the Spaniard who capitalised on Max Verstappen‘s DNF to lead the team’s first one-two for two years.
While Leclerc won driver of the day last time out in Japan, he found himself out of position on the starting grid after slumping to eighth on Saturday. He recovered to fourth in the race, but Sainz was on the podium once again.
Fred Vasseur on Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton partnership
In the eyes of Vasseur, Hamilton will bring a feeling of ‘serenity’ to Maranello. The Mercedes driver has already explained why he’s so excited to move to the Italian marquee.
Based on the 39-year-old’s ‘track record’, he should be able to elevate the team to ‘another level’. And this won’t just be on race weekends, it’ll be throughout the year.
Vasseur expects Hamilton and Leclerc to get on well even in an extremely competitive environment. Naturally, the latter will prosper if the new man pushes the team in the right direction.
“The arrival of Lewis Hamilton?” he said. “It is important for the team. Beyond the speed, it brings serenity to the team, experience, a track record.
“An experience of victory which we also need at Ferrari to move forward. I’m also super happy because I’m convinced that the two [Leclerc and Hamilton] will get along well.
“It’s going to help Charles the driver, it’s not just the performance in the car in qualifying or in the race. It’s also 365 days a year and on this I think Lewis is an absolute master.”
Will Hamilton beat Leclerc?
Hamilton is the most successful driver in F1 history, with seven world championships under his belt alongside a record 103 wins and 104 pole positions. But some may feel he’s not at the peak of his powers.
George Russell is currently out-performing him at Mercedes, leading the qualifying head-to-head 4-1 and the race head-to-head 3-0 (they suffered a double DNF in Australia). While David Coulthard has suggested he may already be checked out ahead of his exit, Russell has hit back at these claims.
Hamilton also lost out to Russell in their first year together in 2022 and is enduring by far the worst victory drought of his career, stretching back to Saudi Arabia 2021. Much as he’s not in top form himself right now, Leclerc may fancy his chances.
The 26-year-old is a five-time race winner who’s formidable over a single lap, racking up 23 pole positions. While six drivers on the grid have more victories, only two have topped qualifying more often.
Double world champion Mika Hakkinen is confident that Leclerc can cause Hamilton some problems next year. Meanwhile, ex-Scuderia driver Sebastian Vettel thinks it will be ‘difficult’ for Ferrari to manage the dynamic between the two drivers.
Leclerc prevailed against the four-time world champion in both of their seasons together. And much as Sainz has the upper hand at the moment, the former Sauber driver has prevailed in the standings in two out of three years.
The post ‘An absolute master’: Fred Vasseur explains how Lewis Hamilton’s arrival will help Charles Leclerc appeared first on F1 Oversteer.