“I prefer having two strong ones than not”: Ferrari TP on Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc F1 partnership next season

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur recently talked about how the dynamic between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will unfold in 2025. He stated that he prefers two strong drivers in his team rather than just one.

Before the 2024 F1 season started, Ferrari announced that they would replace Carlos Sainz with Lewis Hamilton in 2025. Since Hamilton's name was synonymous with Mercedes, the move came as a shock to many in F1. After the announcement, many discussed how Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton would fair against each other on and off the track from 2025.

Though Hamilton is currently struggling to keep up with top drivers in 2024, he is by far the most successful F1 driver on the grid in terms of race and championship wins. On the other hand, Leclerc has been performing well in 2024. He won one race at Monaco GP and stands in second place in the drivers' championship table after the first eight races.

Speaking to Motorsport.com, Frederic Vasseur stated that having two strong drivers like Leclerc and Hamilton would help Ferrari immensely in collecting championship points.

“I don't think so, because I think you have a kind of mutual benefit into the team, and we are getting probably more points with two drivers than with one and a half,” Vasseur said.

“I am really convinced that I prefer having two strong ones than not. For sure, you can imagine the fact that you have two drivers and a potential of points for the team you are speaking about two. But I am sure that the potential of points for the team with two good drivers is much higher than with one and a half. That's my view,” he added.

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Charles Leclerc shares his reaction to Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari

After Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari was confirmed, Charles Leclerc shared his views and reaction to the entire news. Speaking to F1.com, the Monegasque revealed that he already knew about Ferrari's discussions with Hamilton. Hence, he was not too surprised when the deal was sealed.

“Well, obviously these kind of deals are not finalised overnight, so it takes of course time. I was aware of those discussions before signing my [new] deal. It didn’t come out as a surprise after signing,” Leclerc said.

Leclerc added how he contacted Hamilton when his move was officially announced. He praised the seven-time world champion and was eager to work alongside him and see what he brings to the team.

“We’ve had discussions with Lewis, especially when everything was announced and official. We texted each other of course. As I said, Lewis is a great champion with a lot of experience and so much success. It’s always interesting to have a new team mate as you learn different ways of working and of driving. Even more so when my new team mate is a seven-time world champion,” he added.

In the 2024 F1 drivers' championship table, Charles Leclerc is second with 138 points, while Lewis Hamilton is down in eighth place with 42 points.