Ferrari decided to bring in Lewis Hamilton to drive alongside Charles Leclerc in 2025. This not only puts pressure on the Monegasque driver but also will test his true pace on the grid. Leclerc is currently 3rd in the pecking order and with his goal to become a Ferrari world champion, he is still to prove himself on the tracks.
The 5 time Grand Prix winner’s achievements pale in comparison to Lewis Hamilton’s 103 and Max Verstappen’s 58 race wins. And now that Lewis Hamilton will be in the same car as him, Leclerc will need to push his limits. While it’s clear, he has a difficult season ahead of him, former F1 driver Robert Doornbos believes that Leclerc will be “eaten up” by the 7-time world champion.
There are only two drivers on the grid that Leclerc has his eyes on to beat. He wants to overtake Max Verstappen his good friend and rival to win the championship and he would like to rival Lewis Hamilton’s score, although it’s a long shot. Despite being one of the most talented drivers on the circuit, he still lacks what it takes to be a world champion according to Doornbos.
According to Sport1.de, the former driver spoke about Leclerc’s position on the grid with Ziggo Sport the Dutch TV channel saying, “Charles Leclerc is too nice to become Formula 1 world champion. What Hamilton or Verstappen can do, Leclerc can’t do.” With this, Doornbos meant that he could not be as ruthless as the two aforementioned world champions to be able to achieve the same success. Now that Hamilton is moving to Ferrari, Leclerc will have to face a whole new challenge.
Charles Leclerc to be a victor or a sore loser?
Both the world champions have very distinct driving styles with Lewis Hamilton being known for being more aggressive and Max Verstappen being more smooth. While the Ferrari driver is quite quick on the tracks, he is not as big of a risk taker. Lewis Hamilton is moving to Ferrari to get a car that he is comfortable with and once that happens, there is a strong chance that he will return to his podium finishes.
Once Hamilton gets a good car, things will be different. The race will not only be against Max Verstappen for the world championship. Doornbos then spoke about Ferrari building a car that competes with Red Bull stating, “Let’s assume that Ferrari builds the best car for the coming GP season. Then he will be eaten up by Hamilton.”
Lewis Hamilton has been off his form recently, but once he gets a good car under him, he might just pick up where he left off as a world champion. Ferrari has gone all in on him and with a 7-time world champion in the team, it’s likely that Leclerc gets sidelined again. That being said, Leclerc will have to constantly prove to Ferrari that he is not just a second-seat driver, although his competition is one of the highest acclaimed drivers in F1 history.
Do you think Charles Leclerc has what it takes to become an F1 world champion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
