Charles Leclerc "wary" of Lewis Hamilton comment amid "overstepping" fear in interview

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will form a formidable Formula 1 driver partnership at Ferrari next season, but it remains to be seen what the balance of power between them will look like

Charles Leclerc was reluctant to "overstep" when asked if Lewis Hamilton can learn from him when they join forces at Ferrari.

The Italian team will have two of the grid's top racers behind the wheel of their cars in 2025. And while Leclerc's achievements in Formula 1 pale in comparison to the success Hamilton has had, it should not be assumed that the Monegasque will play second fiddle to his new team-mate.

All of Leclerc's comments on their partnership so far have been extremely respectful. On many times he has expressed his excitement about learning from a seven-time F1 champion and repeated that as he spoke to The Race about the future.

He said: "I will be super curious to see what he has done right for all his career to have had all the success that he's had. He has very little weaknesses - well actually, I don't know any weaknesses of Lewis.

"He is a super strong driver, always there, super fast, super consistent. It will be super interesting for me to learn from Lewis, as much as showing what I am capable of in the same car as Lewis. These two things motivate me a lot."

And, when told by the interviewer that many believe he has a good chance of at least matching what Hamilton can do in equal machinery, he remained humble in his reply: "That's good to hear.

"I don't really think about what the expectations are because for me I have just got to focus on what I have to do. I always like to focus a lot more on the process to try and achieve great things instead of [first] thinking about the great things and then thinking about the process.

"Since I got into Formula 1, I have been very lucky. Instead of thinking that I wish I had a number two driver as a team-mate, I have always thought it is so much better to have the best as your team-mate. I have had very, very fast team-mates who have pushed me forward and with Lewis I will learn a lot as well."

Leclerc is no slouch, though. He has been the cornerstone of the Ferrari project since he was promoted to the Scuderia after just one year of F1 experience. And he will have the significant advantage over Hamilton of already knowing everyone at the team, about how they all work and how to get the best out of the tools at his disposal.

But still, he was 'wary of overstepping' when responding to the suggestion that there are things Hamilton could learn from him too. Leclerc simply replied: "Lewis is still incredibly fast. He is still Lewis Hamilton, so I don't think he needs any advice from me!"

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