Leclerc On How He Found Out About Hamilton's Negotiations With Ferrari
F1
Charles Leclerc revealed how he found out about the progressing negotiations between Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton before the official announcement was made.
Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc signed a contract extension with Ferrari shortly before it was announced that he would be joined by Lewis Hamilton.
It was suggested that that announcement might have felt like backstabbing from Ferrari for the 26-year-old, as he might have believed he would finally be the number one driver, but then the announcement revealed that he definitely wouldn't as seven-time World Champion would join him.
However, the Monegasque dismissed these theories, saying that he knew about Hamilton's negotiations with the team from Maranello before signing his own deal. He told Motorsport Italy:
"It had been in the air for a while, but until there is an official confirmation, you can't be sure. I knew there was interest from both sides and in these cases, it is very likely that an agreement will be reached."
"I didn't ask to know more; it's not part of my role, but I must say that everyone has always been very open and sincere with me."
When asked who specifically was the person that revealed to Leclerc for the first time that he might become teammates with the current Mercedes driver, he replied:
"Fred [Vasseur] told me, but I repeat, day after day, I had the perception that things were going in that direction."
"Honestly, I don't remember a specific phone call in which they informed me of Lewis' arrival, probably because I wasn't surprised by the agreement. It was a conviction that grew progressively until the official announcement."
While it is a big challenge to face the most successful driver in F1 history, Charles Leclerc suggested he looks forward to next season to learn from Hamilton and see how he compares to one of the best.
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