F1 News
Will Hamilton follow Vettel's fate against Leclerc? 'I hate being beaten'
Charles Leclerc will soon get his second multiple World Champion as a teammate at Ferrari. The (then even younger) man from Monaco beat Sebastian Vettel only increased his decline in Formula 1. Vettel found refuge at Aston Martin but soon announced his retirement. Lewis Hamilton will move across to Ferrari for the 2025 Formula 1 season. The 39-year-old could follow the same fate.
Leclerc arrived at Ferrari as a relatively new driver. He was quite a rookie, but he had only one year of experience in Formula 1 before making his debut at Ferrari. He replaced Kimi Raikkonen in what was seen as a surprise move. Although Hamilton always ended up getting the better of Vettel and Ferrari, the German did start a challenge for the world title in 2017 and 2018. Everyone expected Leclerc to struggle against the four-time World Champion.
In just his second Grand Prix for Ferrari, Leclerc qualified on pole position and should've won the race had he not endured a late issue. He had it under control in Bahrain. In 2019, Leclerc had seven pole positions compared to Vettel's two. Leclerc also had one more win than Vettel and scored 24 more points across the entire season. Vettel's spiral then continued and worsened in 2020.
Is Leclerc worried about having Hamilton as a teammate?
In 2025, Hamilton will move to Ferrari and become Leclerc's teammate. The seven-time World Champion has been warned by Leclerc that he won't have it easy next season.
"So far, I've never found myself in the guise of the most experienced, but if I find myself two-tenths behind my teammate... whether it's Lewis or anyone else, it makes no difference. I don't like to be behind, and I think that's the case for all the drivers on the grid," Leclerc told the Italian branch of Motorsport.
"When I was with Seb, for example, I hated finding myself behind him. I knew I was in my first year at Ferrari and that I was comparing myself to a much more experienced teammate, but I thought it was a sufficient justification. As far as l'm concerned, I hate being beaten," Leclerc concluded.
In the meantime, Leclerc hasn't had it easy against Carlos Sainz. The Spanish driver was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race in 2023, and he was first to a victory in 2024 despite being ousted for Hamilton. Leclerc has managed to get a win to his name, and at the summer break he leads the two drivers in the World Championship standings.