Leclerc cagey on questions about Hamilton: 'Out of respect for Carlos'

While the entire F1 world was utterly surprised by the news, Leclerc certainly was not. "Well, obviously these kind of deals are not finalised overnight, so it of course takes time and I was aware of those discussions before signing my deal, so it didn’t come out as a surprise for me after signing," Leclerc told media outlets including GPblog.

"Then for the rest, I don’t want to comment it that much, mostly of out of respect for Carlos, we’ve had great years together and we have one more year together to do, and we will do everything to finish on the highest note possible." 

Leclerc praises Hamilton: 'An incredible driver'

Still, Leclerc was keen to add: "Obviously Lewis is an incredible driver, the most successful in history, and with a lot of experiences as well, which he will bring to the team and obviously myself which is a good thing. But again, with Carlos it’s been great and we have got one more year together to try to do the best job possible."

Leclerc did admit moments later that he had since been in touch with Hamilton about the transition. "I mean yes, I have had discussions with Lewis, especially when everything was announced and it was official, we texted each other of course. As I’ve said, Lewis is a great champion with a lot of experience and so much success, so it is always interesting to have a new teammate, as we learn different ways of working and driving  and even more so when my new teammate is a seven-time world champion.