Charles Leclerc surprised by his relationship with Lewis Hamilton

Since his arrival in Maranello On January 20, all eyes were on Lewis Hamilton which begins its 19th season in Formula 1 at Ferrari. Charles Leclerc, as a good neighbour in the garage, did not fail to express himself on his first steps within the Scuderia. “When I joined the team, I had only been in Formula 1 [with Sauber], so everything was still new for me and I had to learn how a team like Ferrari works in Formula 1, even though I knew the factory and everything else from being in the Ferrari Driver Academy before, explained the Monegasque. Obviously the situation Lewis found himself in when he joined the team is very different."

Indeed, throughout his career, the seven-time World Champion has only driven single-seaters with an engine MercedesBeyond a change of team, the Briton must discover a new way of working. "For Lewis it's new to play in an Italian team, but he has achieved so much before arriving here as a legend, mentioned Number 16. It's really cool to see what it was like for him on other teams and how they worked. We learned a lot about that, it was really exciting to see how happy and excited he was about his arrival."

The Little Prince of Monaco in the shadows

Although accustomed to being the centre of attention for the Tifosi, Charles Leclerc does not seem to be affected by the shadow cast by the aura of the former Mercedes driver. “The offseason was a little more in the shadows for me, but I enjoyed it, said the last winner of the Monaco Grand Prix. I've been focusing on myself, pushing to the maximum to be ready for the first race, and I'm really looking forward to starting the season. I hope we start the year in a more positive way than last year."

Regarding his working relationship with Hamilton, Leclerc seems confident: "I was surprised, our driving style is very similar," explained the 27-year-old driver. "We both like to push, especially on the entrances. On this point, we are quite similar." A point that facilitates the team's work. "It's positive because the car has to do the same thing, the Monegasque rejoiced. It's always a good thing because we're definitely going to be pushing in the same direction because we need the same things, we work really well together."

More photos than driving

The season is not only prepared on the track for Ferrari. The start of the year is often an opportunity to communicate about the team, the liveries, the team kits or even the changes. And the Prancing Horse drivers have not avoided the exercise. “We have spent quite a bit of time together since the beginning of the year, revealed Leclerc. Less on the track, more in the studio taking pictures, which is not what we enjoy the most, but it's part of the job! I can't wait to race with him and hopefully bring Ferrari back to the top."

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