Charles Leclerc could make life “really difficult” for Lewis Hamilton, opines former F1 champion

Former F1 driver Jenson Button feels Charles Leclerc could make it "difficult" for Lewis Hamilton in the 2025 season as the two will go head-to-head in Ferrari.

The Mercedes driver is set to move to the Maranello team in the next F1 season, replacing Carlos Sainz. He will then be partnered by Charles Leclerc, who has raced for Ferrari since 2019.

Jenson Button, the 2009 F1 world champion, believes that Charles Leclerc's accumulated experience with the team will prove beneficial for him. He also suggested that while Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton could collaborate effectively, the 26-year-old could make the atmosphere "really difficult" for Lewis Hamilton.

He said on the Sky F1 podcast:

"Do I think they’ll work well together? Yes."

"I think the positives that Charles has is that he knows the team, speaks Italian. 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."

Ferrari are known for letting their drivers get into battle rather than giving one more advantage, usually when they are battling at the top. The team is expected to battle at the top for victories in the future, and with both Hamilton and Leclerc in the team, it could turn into quite a battle for them.

This is also backed by Lewis Hamilton's former teammate Nico Rosberg's comments, who stated that the two drivers' levels could be "pretty similar."

---

Nico Rosberg comments on possible rivalry between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari

Nico Rosberg went head-to-head in the championship battle with his teammate Lewis Hamilton in 2016, ultimately winning it. He was the second driver to beat Hamilton as a teammate after Jenson Button.

Talking about his pair-up with Charles Leclerc in 2025, Rosberg feels that while the two might not get into a lot of battles, their levels are "pretty similar." Sky Sports quoted him:

"Charles doesn't seem like someone who goes into conflict too much with his team-mate, so that will make it easier, maybe it won't be too extremely spicy. Nevertheless, Charles is probably the second-best qualifier out there after Max Verstappen, one could possibly say at the moment, so it will be a tough battle for both."

"I think the level could be pretty similar, so it will be great to watch."

Contrary to earlier expectations, Hamilton has not shown strong performances this season. Mercedes' W15 does not provide the drivers with a competitive pace, and as a result, they currently stand fourth in the championship.