Leclerc Could 'Make It Really Difficult' For Hamilton In Ferrari 'If He Wanted To'

Thursday, 09 May 2024 at 11:03

Updated at Thursday, 09 May 2024 at 11:08

2009 World Champion Jenson Button said he believes Charles Leclerc could make Lewis Hamilton's situation at Ferrari very difficult.

Lewis Hamilton is driving for Mercedes at the moment, but everyone already knows it is his last season with Silver Arrows before moving on to Ferrari.

In Scuderia, the seven-time World Champion will be paired up with Charles Leclerc, who hasn't won a single Championship yet and has "only" 5 race wins to his name.

However, the young Monegasque has enormous potential, and many believe he is a World Champion in the making. Moreover, he has been with Ferrari for almost six years now, speaks Italian, and is very well-established within the team.

Most F1 fans already look forward to the head-to-head battle between the two drivers. While it isn't yet clear what the dynamics between the two teammates will be, Jenson Button expects Leclerc and the 39-year-old to get along well. He told Sky F1 podcast:

"I think if it was the Lewis of seven or eight years ago, it would be a tricky relationship. But now he just seems so relaxed in himself and I don't think they're going to have issues being team-mates at all, no more than Carlos [Sainz] and Charles have right now."

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"Do I think they'll work well together? Yes. I think the positives that Charles has is that he knows the team, speaks Italian."

The Briton and the Monegasque F1 driver seem to have a pretty good relationship already, and while Button doesn't expect it to be tense, he suggests there could be a way for Leclerc to make Hamilton really tough.

"If he wanted to, he could make it really, really difficult for Lewis in that team, the atmosphere. And you can say: 'That's not sportsmanlike' – but that's part of racing."

"Nico Rosberg will tell you that as well: it's about getting the team of people behind you, so that gives you strength and it takes away strength from your team-mate."