Not Lewis Hamilton, 2025 set to be “make or break” for Charles Leclerc, according to former F1 champion

Former F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve recently talked about the pressure Charles Leclerc would be burdened with when Lewis Hamilton joins Ferrari in 2025.

Before the start of the 2024 F1 season, Ferrari made an explosive announcement that Hamilton would be joining them in 2025, replacing Carlos Sainz. Ever since Hamilton's move was confirmed, many started talking about how Leclerc would fair against the seven-time world champion.

The Monegasque has been Ferrari's star driver for quite some time. Ever since he joined the Prancing Horse in 2019, he was hailed and praised as a future world champion. However, he could not clinch a title with the Italian giants due to several issues.

Recently, many also questioned Leclerc's potential, especially after his current teammate, Carlos Sainz, became the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race in the 2023 F1 season. Sainz's latest win was at the 2024 F1 Australian GP, while Leclerc's last win was at the 2022 F1 Austrian GP.

Speaking to GPFans, Jacques Villeneuve initially said that Leclerc was considered a champion when he joined Ferrari, when in fact he was not. He later added that the 2025 F1 season could be a make-or-break season for Charles Leclerc rather than it being a deciding year for Lewis Hamilton and his career.

"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," Villeneuve said.

"He still has to prove it. 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," he added.

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Charles Leclerc praised his future Ferrari teammate for his achievements in F1

When Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari was confirmed and announced, Charles Leclerc shared his views on it. Speaking to F1.com, Leclerc praised the seven-time world champion as a driver and for everything he has achieved in F1.

Leclerc added that Hamilton's experience and talent would help Ferrari and himself move forward.

“Obviously Lewis is an incredible driver, the most successful in history, with a lot of experience as well, which he will bring to the team and obviously myself, which is a good thing,” Leclerc said.

Hamilton has signed a multi-year contract with Ferrari that starts in 2025. However, details about his salary and bonuses have not yet been officially revealed.