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Charles Leclerc disclosed that he was aware of Lewis Hamilton's 'surprise' decision to join Ferrari for the 2025 F1 season.
In early February, Mercedes made headlines by announcing that Hamilton would depart from his current two-year contract with the team and join the Italian team the following year. This move was deemed one of the most significant in the sport's history, leaving most drivers on the grid surprised by the news.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc has now revealed that he was aware of the possibility of the Brit joining his team. He told FOX Australia:
"I knew it since quite a few months that it was a possibility. That it was on the table uh obviously then uh it was still a surprise to learn that there was opportunities of this happening."
Leclerc added that it would be an opportunity and a challenge for him to be teammates with the "most successful driver" in the history of F1.
"Obviously, Lewis will be joining the team which is an amazing challenge for me because he's the most successful driver in F1 history and it's going to be great to have him as a teammate."
Hamilton remains behind the wheel for Mercedes in his final season with the team. However, he has expressed disappointment with the recent performance of the car.
2024 F1 Australian GP ends in disappointment for Lewis Hamilton
After the opening two rounds of the season, Lewis Hamilton headed into Melbourne aiming to score some points for Mercedes. However, he was unable to do so as he experienced a suspected engine failure on the 17th lap of the race, forcing him to retire.
Hamilton's teammate George Russell faced a disappointing fate as he crashed on the final lap of the race while closely chasing Fernando Alonso.
McLaren then moved ahead of Mercedes, securing third place in the championship standings. With Aston Martin trailing just one point behind them, the Brackley-based outfit now faces the threat of being overtaken.
The W15 appears to be plagued by issues similar to its predecessors. Following the conclusion of the FP2 session in Melbourne, Lewis Hamilton expressed his lack of confidence in the car and told the media:
"After that session, I feel the least confident I've ever felt with this car."
Hamilton also noted that the gap between Red Bull and Mercedes remains similar to last year, which he experienced while racing Sergio Perez. This suggests that the team has not made sufficient progress compared to their competitors during the winter.
