Leclerc responds after Brundle comments on private Lewis Hamilton feeling

Ex-F1 racer turned pundit Martin Brundle claimed Charles Leclerc is “loving” all the “attention and pressure” being on Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.

Leclerc would go as far to say he is “completely fine” with this, but stood his ground on the suggestion that Hamilton could replace him as Ferrari poster boy.

Lewis Hamilton to become the Ferrari driver? Leclerc responds

Many pair of eyes are on Hamilton at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix as he makes his huge debut as a Ferrari driver, having called time on his iconic Mercedes career to realise a childhood dream by racing in Ferrari red.

At Ferrari, he finds Charles Leclerc on the other side of the garage, who heading into his seventh season with the team as a Ferrari Academy graduate, has taken on the aura of Ferrari’s golden boy and great hope to become their first Drivers’ Champion since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.

But, the Monegasque driver has seen Hamilton come in as the centre of attention for the outside world at Ferrari.

Not that is of any concern for Leclerc, far from it, according to Sky F1 co-commentator and pundit Martin Brundle.

“Apparently he’s loving it because all of the attention is on Lewis instead of him and the pressure is on him and what he’s got to do,” said Brundle on Sky F1’s ‘The F1 Show’.

“He’ll learn from Lewis and I think Charles is very mature, his ego is parked.

“He’ll be very happy for all of the spotlight to be across the garage so he can get on with his job.”

Leclerc would confirm that he has no problem at all with the attention all being on Hamilton, though made it clear this does not pose a threat to his standing within Ferrari.

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While speaking to the media ahead of the F1 2025 season-opening Australian GP, it was put to Leclerc that he ‘will always have a special place in Ferrari’, but was asked if he fears Hamilton could take his spot as ‘”Mr. Ferrari”, as Hamilton has coined him.

“No, because there’s no place for one particular driver in Ferrari,” Leclerc replied. “I mean, Ferrari is bigger than any drivers, and I think that’s always been the case in Ferrari. That’s what makes Ferrari so special.

“There’s support for the team and not for one specific driver. So I don’t think that’s the case.

“Obviously, Lewis is coming in the team as a legend of the sport and so there’s a lot more attention on him than there’s for me at the moment, but I’m completely fine with it. I completely understand that, and it’s normal that it’s that way, so it’s fine for me.

“But I don’t think there’s a competition on who needs to be the driver for Ferrari. And there won’t ever be that.”

Hamilton replaced Carlos Sainz at Ferrari, Sainz securing his future in F1 by signing a multi-year deal with Williams.

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