Hamilton - Leclerc Pairing Will Be Difficult For Ferrari To Manage Says Vettel

Wednesday, 03 April 2024 at 18:30

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc walking together through the paddock at one of the F1 circuits, with Red Bull hospitality and the FIA office in the background.

Former Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel suggested that the team will have difficulty managing the matchup between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

The announcement that the seven-time World Champion would switch teams from Mercedes to Ferrari came as a massive shock to everyone, including Sebastian Vettel.

He recently stated he didn't believe the news at first and was skeptical, but when he verified the information, he said he was happy for Hamilton. In a recent interview with Sky Sports, the 36-year-old said:

"I was surprised, like I guess most of us. But exciting. Obviously, he's looking for a new challenge, and it will be different to see him in red, in a different color."

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Vettel and the 39-year-old once had a big rivalry when they fought for the title in 2017 and 2018. Back then, the four-time World Champion raced for the team from Maranello.

In the same team, he met the young Charles Leclerc in 2019, who had been promoted to Ferrari after just one year in Sauber. Interestingly, the Monegasque driver outperformed the 36-year-old in both seasons they spent together.

When he was leaving Ferrari, Vettel said Leclerc was the most talented driver he had encountered in 15 years of racing in Formula 1. Consequently, he knows what Hamilton is getting into when joining the red.

Nevertheless, the German also acknowledged Hamilton's qualities, saying he was "very competitive." He believes the driver duo will be challenging to manage for the team principal, Fred Vasseur:

"Charles is good, Charles is easy. He's very quick and very competitive, but so is Lewis. So it's more difficult, I guess, for the team to manage."

It is already clear that neither of the two drivers will accept being number 2, and situations like this might lead to conflicts. On the other hand, Hamilton and Leclerc seem to have a good and respectful relationship. How do you think it will pan out?