Charles Leclerc ignored Mercedes or Red Bull to duel Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari
Charles Leclerc 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, to directly take on his new t🐻eammate.
Leclerc penned a multi-year contract to stay at Ferrari shortly before Hamilton announcꦺed that he would join the Italian manufacturer in 2025.
Hamilton’s talks wit🐈h 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 Fe💖rrari deal - were made aware of the team’s negotiations with Hamilton, the report says.
President John Elkann and team principal Fred Vasseur told their current drivers🧔 about the situation.
Leclerc could have turned to Mercedes or Red Bull to claim their 2025 vacancies during this period, knowing Hamilton was incoming, but chose not t💯o.
“One of the reasons was H🍸amilton himself,” the 🧔Italian newspaper reports.
Leclerc has told “people close to him” tha🍨t direct💎ly competing with Hamilton in equal machinery is a great motivation to stay at Ferrari.
He remembers💟 his 2019 Monza victory where he got the better of Hamil🍌ton.
Leclerc knows that outperforming Hamilton next year as Ferrari drivers would dramatically increase h🤡is status and effectively make him the team leader.
Leclerc is also “convinced” that Hamilton’s veteran knowledge can greatly improve development of the ‘2🌌5 Ferrari.
The Monegasque driver knows that the addition of Hamilton means Ferrari 🌃are investing heavily in winning the F1 championship.
Hamilton’s arrival could spark the addition of en♏gineers from rival teams, which Leclerc would beဣnefit from.
But Lecler𒊎c has given himself a Plan Bꦗ, the report claims.
His new Ferrari contrac♊t 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 regul๊ations.
Leclerc could then turn to Mercedes or Red Bull.
And Max Verstappen “has not vetoed a possible arrival of Leclerc at Red Bull”,🐎 the Italian medi💟a believe.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for aꦅ decade covering everything from American sports, to football🦄, to F1.
