Charles Leclerc ignored Mercedes or Red Bull to duel Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari
Charles Lecler😼c and Carlos Sainz were told of Lewis ⛄Hamilton's Ferrari talks which were ongoing for "months"
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Charles Leclerc reportedly chose to stay at Ferrari, knowing 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton was coming,𝓰 to directly take on his new teammate.
Leclerc penned a multi-year contract to stay at Ferrari shortly before Hamilton announced that he would join the Italian manufacturer in ✃2025.
H𓆏amilton’s talks with Ferrari “had been going on under the radar for a few months”, report.
Leclerc - and his current teammate Carlos Sainz, who was also in talks to sign a new Ferra⛄ri deal - were m🍃ade aware of the team’s negotiations with Hamilton, the report says.
President John Elkann and team principal Fred Vasseur t𒐪old their current drivers about the situatio🧜n.
Leclerc could have turned to Mercedes or Red Bull to claim their 2025 vacancies during this period, knowing Hamilton w🍎as incoming, but chose not to.
“On♑e of the reasons was Hamil🐎ton himself,” the Italian newspaper reports.
Leclerc has told “people close to him” that directly competing with Hamilt🧜on in equal machinery is a great motivatioꦫn to stay at Ferrari.
He remembers his 2019 Monza victor✱y where he got th🦹e better of Hamilton.
Leclerc knows that outperforming Hamilton next year as Ferrari drivers♊ would dramatically inღcrease his status and effectively make him the team leader.
Leclerc is also “convinced” that Hami🔯lton’s veteran knꩲowledge can greatly improve development of the ‘25 Ferrari.
The Monegasque driver knows that the ღaddition of Hamilton means Ferrari♌ are investing heavily in winning the F1 championship.
Hamilton’s arrival could spark the addition of engineers from rival teams, which Leclerc✨ would benefit from.
But Leclerc has🌊 given himself a Plan B, the report claims.
His new Ferrari contract includes a get-out clause which he can invoke after the 2026 season, if he deems that Ferrari 𝄹have not produced a winning car after one season of the new regulations.
Leclerc could then turn to Mercedes or Red Bull.
And Max Verstappen “has no💝t vetoed a possible arrival of Leclerc at Red Bull”, the Italian media believe.
James was a sporꦺts journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
