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Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve feels Lewis Hamilton's arrival at Ferrari is a make-or-break moment for Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver has been part of the Italian team since 2019. He was first teamed with Sebastian Vettel on the team, and hence has the experience of working with a world champion.
After Vettel's departure, Charles Leclerc has assumed the role of the benchmark for Ferrari and when Lewis Hamilton steps into that team, it would be challenged. Hamilton, on his part, is a seven-time world champion and will be looking at the opportunity to perform well against the young driver and even fight for the title.
Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, however, thinks that this is a make-or-break moment for Charles Leclerc, who hasn't achieved the kind of success that he should have already. As quoted by PlanetF1, the Canadian feels Lewis Hamilton does not have anything to lose and the burden of performance and results will fall on Leclerc's shoulders. He said:
“Charles was brought into Ferrari as a champion when he wasn’t because he was brought in from Sauber saying: ‘Well, he is a champion’. “No, because he was beating someone in karting or whatever, that doesn’t pan out. He still has to prove it."
He added:
“He’s shown a lot of speed, he’s shown that he’s super fast, but he’s not the one who won the race for Ferrari last year. So it will be interesting to see how that balances out inside Ferrari. This will be make or break for Charles, not for Lewis.”
Lewis Hamilton's arrival will help Charles Leclerc at Ferrari
Talking to the media, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur was confident that Lewis Hamilton's arrival would help Charles Leclerc in his career. According to Vasseur, the two drivers will get along and what Hamilton brings is a wealth of experience and the learning of how to win in F1.
Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver in the history of the sport and is joining Ferrari to further his legacy and win the elusive 8th world title. When questioned about the dynamics between the two drivers, Vasseur said (via PlanetF1):
“The arrival of Lewis Hamilton? It is important for the team. Beyond the speed, it brings serenity to the team, experience a track record. An experience of victory, which we also need at Ferrari to move forward."
He added:
“I’m also super happy because I’m convinced that the two will get along well. It’s going to help Charles the driver. It’s not just the performance in the car, in qualifying or the race. It’s also 365 days a year and on this I think Lewis is an absolute master.”
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will team up at Ferrari next season and looking at the growth curve the Italian squad is on, the partnership could potentially prove to be very successful.
