Charles Leclerc eager to learn from Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari in 2025

This news follows Hamilton's announcement earlier in the season that he would be ending his long-standing partnership with Mercedes at the conclusion of the current campaign.

Hamilton, who had been synonymous with Mercedes for years, has signed a multi-year deal with Ferrari. This partnership will see him racing alongside Leclerc, who had been with Ferrari since the 2019 season. Leclerc is enthusiastic about the opportunity to learn from Hamilton, considered the sport‘s most successful driver.

Leclerc told BBC Sport, "I need to be convinced that I am the fastest driver when I put the helmet on, but I am really looking forward to it, and it will be super-interesting for me.

"I have always said you learn from every single teammate you have over your career."

The Monegasque driver continued to praise Hamilton's abilities, acknowledging the Briton's strengths. "When I look at the way he drives, because we always look at each other and data, you don't really see any weaknesses. And that's where Lewis is incredible. He's only got strengths.

"So I'm really looking forward to seeing how he works with his engineers, the feedback, and all of these kinds of things, to learn and become better."

Ferrari started the current season strong, with Leclerc securing regular podium finishes early in the year. The team's performance peaked at the Monaco Grand Prix, where Leclerc claimed victory on his home turf, a significant achievement for the young driver. However, Ferrari's form has declined since then, and they now appeared to be the fourth-fastest team in the standings.

Amidst the challenging times, Leclerc praised the impact of team principal Frederic Vasseur. "Fred has two very big strengths which are very important in F1, and especially in a team like Ferrari, where the passion is so high that in very good moments there are lots of emotions, but there are also very big emotions whenever we are going through a tough time," stated Leclerc.

Leclerc appreciated Vasseur's ability to maintain emotional balance within the team. "In F1, you need to be as flat emotionally as possible and Fred is always a little bit the balance. Whenever we have very difficult moments, he helps the team to be back at a reasonable level and not be too disappointed.

"And exactly the same when we win, to not be too high and bring us back down and tell everybody we've got to work because this is only one race."

Looking ahead, the next event on the 2024 F1 calendar is the Belgian Grand Prix, set to take place over the upcoming weekend. This race, scheduled for Sunday, July 28, will be the 14th race of the Formula 1 season. The competition will unfold over 44 laps of the 7,004-kilometre Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, promising an exciting weekend for F1 fans worldwide.