Charles Leclerc reacts to the rumor of Hamilton joining Ferrari
Recently, rumors have been flying around the paddock about a possible switch to Ferrari for Lewis Hamilton. These rumors have since been denied, but let's see the drivers' reaction.
The rumor about Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari has been a long-standing subject in the Formula 1 paddock, although a recent report from the Daily Mail suggested that the Scuderia was interested in making it happen.
It has been claimed that Ferrari was ready to offer the Briton a contract worth £40 million per season, with the preferred option being that he replaces Carlos Sainz as Charles Leclerc’s teammate, while the backup plan was for the Monegasque driver to go the other way and join Mercedes.
The rumor gained momentum when Sky F1 journalist Craig Slater revealed that although Ferrari had not made a formal offer to Lewis Hamilton and did not believe that negotiations had taken place, he stated that an offer for the seven-time world champion was being considered at Ferrari.
However, this rumor was quickly denied, notably by the person concerned who claimed to be close to reaching an agreement with Mercedes for an extension.
Current driver at Ferrari, Charles Leclerc reacted with a touch of humor when a journalist asked him what he looks for in a teammate: “Good morning Lewis! I mean, a fast teammate, like everyone else. We are in Formula 1 and we love to compete against the best. But that doesn’t mean my teammate isn’t fast. Carlos is an extremely fast driver. But yes, considering that, I mean, I’m not the one making the choices. So yes, let’s see.”
A respect between the two pilots
Charles Leclerc had to answer several questions in the press conference, particularly regarding his feelings about a potential arrival of Lewis Hamilton as his teammate.
« If I say yes, I imagine that it will be the headline of all newspapers. But what I mean is that Lewis is an incredible driver, who has achieved so much in this sport. So I think that anyone on the starting grid would like to have Lewis as a teammate, because everyone will learn a lot from him. But yes, once again, I am happy where I am. And with Carlos, it’s also an excellent relationship. »
Lewis Hamilton didn’t wait to thank the Monegasque for the compliments and especially for clarifying the rumors.
« First of all, thank you for these kind words. Hello everyone. I believe that when negotiating a contract, there are always speculations. And I think that in the end, as long as you don’t hear anything from me, that’s all there is. »
