Charles Leclerc has many reasons to be concerned about the imminent arrival of Lewis Hamilton as his teammate at Ferrari for 2025 and beyond.
This is the view not only of Red Bull’s Austrian consultant, Dr. Helmut Marko, but also of his Austrian compatriot Gerhard Berger.
Hamilton’s Political Power Shift at Ferrari
Aside from the obvious speed of the seven-time world champion, they believe the 39-year-old driver is also so experienced, shrewd, and influential that he will politically take over at Ferrari.
“This is the best thing that could happen to F1 at the moment,” admits Marko.
“There are two reasons for this: the fascination Lewis has for Ferrari and the fact that Hamilton no longer trusts Mercedes.”
“And there are two things Hamilton cannot accept,” Marko continues.
“The first is that he is no longer winning world championships, and also that it will not be easy for him to become champion again.”
“But leaving aside the sporting aspect, Hamilton is not at all happy about no longer being the highest-paid driver on the grid. And the one who earns the most now is Max (Verstappen).”
“At least that fact can change with the help of Ferrari even if I do not know the numbers!”
And with this new power at Ferrari, Marko believes difficult times are coming for Leclerc.
“Lewis will politically impose himself over Charles as Ferrari’s global superstar,” predicts Marko.
Hamilton’s Arrival Sparks Ferrari’s New Era
Berger agrees that Ferrari, led by Frédéric Vasseur, a long-time friend of Hamilton, recognized that it needed a character like Hamilton to “start a new phase” for the Italian brand.
“Lewis is not only one of the best drivers in the history of Formula 1,” says the former F1 driver, “he is also extremely effective in terms of marketing.”
“The Ferrari brand and the Hamilton brand, joining forces, will form an extremely attractive combination for fans.”
“He will be paid a lot of money and will really be adored. But, in the first place, Ferrari needs his experience. He has won more than 100 Grands Prix. Victories are commonplace for him.”
“He also knows how to motivate a team for this and how to handle politically complex situations. In addition, some technical specialists from other teams could follow Lewis to Maranello, so a new cycle of success could start in Ferrari’s history, as was the case with Michael Schumacher.”
Leclerc loves Vasseur’s method at Ferrari.
“He doesn’t really care about what is said outside the team”
Charles Leclerc is happy to see Fred Vasseur’s vision for the future of Ferrari, after a full year of the Frenchman at the helm of the Scuderia. The Monegasque driver explains that this has strengthened his confidence in the team.
“With Fred, I obviously have a lot of discussions,” said Leclerc. “I completely agree with the long and medium-term vision he has for the team. This has also allowed me to believe in the project for the future.”
Leclerc and Vasseur had already worked together at Alfa Romeo in 2018, but their working relationship is not the same: “It’s difficult to go into details of how things have changed because it’s a different way of working with Fred. There are so many specifics that are different.”
“Without going into a comparison between the past and the present, I think one of Fred’s great qualities is that he doesn’t really care about what is said outside the team. He focuses on what needs to be done within the team. He goes straight to the point and I think that’s one of his strengths. I really like this way of working.”
Leclerc Faces Hamilton: Political Shift at Ferrari Ahead. Leclerc Faces Hamilton: Political Shift at Ferrari Ahead
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