“Shaq and Kobe”: Fans react as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc get featured in F1’s latest post

F1 fans seemed excited when the sport's official website featured the images of Ferrari duo, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, in their latest post on social media. The British driver finally completed his much-awaited move to the Italian team on January 20 and had his first run in the red car a couple of days later.

The seven-time F1 world champion caught everyone off guard when he announced his departure from Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season. It marked a culmination of their 12-year legendary partnership.

On F1's official X account, a series of pictures of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were posted from their TPC in Barcelona in late January behind the wheel of the SF-23.

F1 fans took to social media to give their reactions to the pair's images together on X, with one fan even comparing the duo to the iconic LA Lakers one-two punch of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, saying:

"Shaq and Kobe."

"Seeing Lewis Hamilton in the iconic red of Ferrari is truly exciting! His dedication, combined with Ferrari's legendary status, is setting the stage for an electrifying season. Can't wait to see what this powerhouse duo will achieve. Let's go, Scuderia!"

"Charles got that laser focus on."

"Vamos! Ferrari Tifosi! Let’s go! Sir Lewis in the house," said a fan.

"Putting the work in," wrote another.

"Awesome," expressed another.

Former F1 driver gives his take on Lewis Hamilton-Charles Leclerc "battle"

Former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde stated his belief that Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc would be "exciting" to watch together and mentioned that both drivers could "learn" from each other.

As per F1 Oversteer, the Dutch driver reflected:

“I do think the battle with Leclerc will be exciting. Leclerc is obviously incredibly good at qualifying, but I think they can learn a lot from each other. Leclerc can obviously do that from Hamilton in the race because once he has a car and he is on pace, he is obviously almost unbeatable.

“But I think in terms of sharpness and over one lap, Lewis can still learn a lot from Leclerc, so I think they can be complimentary of each other. I do think they are the strongest duo in the field because they are two top drivers.”

The British driver is signed on to a multi-year deal with Ferrari and will see him race for them until the end of the 2026 season at least with an option to extend for a further year.

Lewis Hamilton is predicted to have a tough outing alongside Charles Leclerc, given his struggles against his ex-teammate George Russell in his final year in Mercedes. It left him with a deficit of 19-5 in qualifying, resulting in a lot of work in the main races.