Lewis Hamilton has proven his aggressive edge stays intact at Ferrari regardless of an excellent relationship with team-mate Charles Leclerc
Lewis Hamilton isn’t able to let team-mate Charles Leclerc have free reign at Ferrari (Picture: Mark Sutton – Formulation 1/Formulation 1 by way of Getty Photos) This text accommodates affiliate hyperlinks, we’ll obtain a fee on any gross sales we generate from it. Be taught extra
Ferrari star Lewis Hamilton has served discover to the Formulation 1 paddock that whereas Charles Leclerc could also be his team-mate, it would not forestall him from being a rival. The seven-time world champion got here agonisingly near securing his maiden F1 podium in Ferrari pink on Sunday after Leclerc narrowly beat him to 3rd place on the Australian Grand Prix, the place George Russell got here out on prime. Hamilton, 41, was buoyed by the staff’s exhibiting however indicated Ferrari suffered penalties for his or her selection to not pit throughout a digital security automobile interval.
The Briton was additionally refreshingly candid about his ambitions to overhaul Leclerc, even suggesting he would have conquered the Monégasque driver had the race lasted barely longer. “I went into in the present day and none of us knew what the true tempo was going to be,” he mentioned following Sunday’s race. “However I felt nice from the get-go and was clearly closing a spot proper on the finish to Charles. A pair extra laps and I feel I’d have had Charles, possibly one or two extra laps. So there are tons and many positives to take.” The dynamic between Hamilton and Leclerc has remained cordial for the reason that former transferred to Maranello from Mercedes final yr. The duo have mentioned their mutual admiration for one another on a number of events, although that hasn’t stopped tensions from surfacing.
One infamous incident occurred eventually yr’s Miami GP when Hamilton expressed his dissatisfaction with the staff’s technique whereas operating behind his team-mate. Hamilton was urging engineer Riccardo Adami to permit him previous Leclerc quite than “burning up his tyres” within the soiled air behind Leclerc.
The decision was finally made to allow Hamilton by way of, at which level he retorted: “Have a tea break while you are at it!” And whereas that show of exasperation wasn’t directed at Leclerc personally, it was the Monegasque’s extra measured tempo on the time that had prompted his frustration.
“Do I feel I will likely be forward of Leclerc? I do not see it that approach,” he advised Corriere della Sera final week. “Ferrari is one entity. In Italy, and elsewhere, folks comply with it like a faith and find it irresistible just like the Pope. My aim is not to divide the followers; we each need to win.
“After all, I want to be the one on prime, and I’m working towards that, however the staff comes first. Charles is an outstanding driver in how he drives, his work ethic, and he has been right here for eight years.”
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