Lewis Hamilton, new idol of the tifosi: what place for Charles Leclerc at Ferrari?

14 laps only. The passage of Charles Leclerc on the track on Wednesday at the wheel of the 23 SF-2023 was rather anecdotal. The Monegasque might not even have needed to do this run if Carlos Sainz remained his teammate. Because the TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) organized by Ferrari was actually more of a pretext to offer his first tours to Lewis Hamilton, freshly arrived.

The symbolism required that the Briton climb into a Ferrari for the first time at Fiorano, on the test track of the Prancing Horse. The intimacy of the place was disturbed by the dozens of tifosi who came to catch a glimpse, as they could, of their new darling. The images of the SF-23 bearing the number 44 went around the world and a simple test on a car The two-year-old has become the flagship event of the day in the microcosm of F1. When all the spotlights were on Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc found himself de facto in the background of a day rather intended to introduce his new garage neighbour and allow him to find his bearings with the team. The Monegasque seemed to take it quite well, without any jealousy.. “The first day back in the car is always a great feeling after the holidays.” explains number 16. “To feel all this excitement around the team is very motivating. […] It was nice to be able to see Lewis driving his first laps in a Ferrari, which was a special moment for the team and for him.”

The question, however, legitimately arises as to the place that Charles Leclerc will occupy from now on within Ferrari. After his arrival in 2019, he had quickly eclipsed Sebastian Vettel, despite the German's colossal track record, naturally propelling himself as the darling of the tifosi. Another multiple world champion has now arrived at his side: record holder for victories, pole positions, number of titles... Lewis Hamilton's CV makes him a strong rival for this number one spot. Despite his notable stint at Ferrari, Carlos Sainz himself admitted that he understood the Scuderia's decision to replace him with Lewis Hamilton very well, even if it was hard to take.

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Ferrari preserves Charles Leclerc in its communication

The opportunity to recruit the Briton was impossible to pass up for Frédéric Vasseur, who will now have to deal with Charles Leclerc's emotional state. “Like every year, the first time you go out on track, […] it’s quite an emotional feeling, especially today because it was Lewis’ first day with the team.” reacted the boss of the Scuderia. “Welcoming a new driver is always an important moment. Maybe today was less special for Charles, but it was good to see him fit, relaxed and eager to get back racing.” 

Like Frédéric Vasseur's very balanced reaction, the winner of the last Monaco Grand Prix was particularly protected by Ferrari's communication during Wednesday's TPC. The Italian communicators took care to treat him in the same way as Lewis Hamilton in their publications. If the forty-year-old was the star of the day, Ferrari did everything to put its drivers at an equal distance from the front of the stage. Containing everyone's egos will be one of the difficult tasks for Frédéric Vasseur, who finds himself with two leaders on his hands. Fortunately, the situation seems much easier to live with for his drivers. Naturally benevolent, Charles Leclerc has always praised the arrival of Lewis Hamilton at his side when the question was asked to him on many occasions. Ferrari's protégé sees it "an extra motivation" and an opportunity to prove his worth against the greatest list of achievements in the history of his sport.

Charles Leclerc seems to be enjoying this little stint in the shadow of his teammate, especially since the fans showed him that, despite coming to see Hamilton's debut, they did not intend to forget. "The Predestined". Climbed up on the walls of tires after his ride to greet them and sign autographs, Charles Leclerc was able to enjoy the songs of the red tide which punctuated “Oh Leclerc, bring us the championship!”. After all, for the tifosi, it doesn't matter who wins: the important thing is to put an end to 17 years of drought since the last title won by Kimi Raikkonen in 2007. The rest is secondary.

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“OH LECLERC, BRING US THE CHAMPIONSHIP” pic.twitter.com/KYltsTDo0V

— clara (@leclercsletters) January 22, 2025