Lewis Hamilton warned about Charles Leclerc when Ferrari ‘hostilities commence’

Henry Valantine
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, and Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will become team-mates at Ferrari in 2025

FIA steward Johnny Herbert has claimed Lewis Hamilton will face a Charles Leclerc who will not “hold back” in battle in the F1 2025 season.

The three-time Grand Prix winner explained how Leclerc saw off the challenge of Sebastian Vettel beforehand, and will look to be “on top of his game” when Hamilton begins life at Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton facing Charles Leclerc ‘on top of his game’ at Ferrari

Hamilton arrived at Maranello for the first time in an official capacity on Monday, as he got set to begin life at the Scuderia after his move from Mercedes.

He will be facing off against an eight-time race winner in Leclerc, whose run to third in the Drivers’ Championship in 2024 saw him pick up three victories along the way.

Having been the driver to win the in-team battle against an experienced multiple World Champion beforehand in Vettel, Herbert explained that Leclerc will look to take the fight to Hamilton when racing gets underway.

“Charles is not going to hold back,” Herbert told Plejmo.com.

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“When [Sebastian] Vettel went there as a four-time World Champion, Charles came in and nicked the team off Sebastian.

“He is not going to be afraid of Lewis. He will be aware and respectful, and he knows he will be a threat. But he is going to make sure he will be very much on top of his game when hostilities commence.

“Charles has come on in a long way this year. The challenge will raise him to the level that he and Ferrari needs.”

Hamilton shared a photo outside Enzo Ferrari’s house at the Scuderia’s Maranello base on Monday as he took in his first official day as a Ferrari driver, in what he admitted was a significant day in his career.

He wrote on Instagram: “There are some days that you know you’ll remember forever and today, my first as a Ferrari driver, is one of those days.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have achieved things in my career I never thought possible, but part of me has always held on to that dream of racing in red. I couldn’t be happier to realise that dream today.

“Today we start a new era in the history of this iconic team, and I can’t wait to see what story we will write together.”

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