Charles Leclerc is not at all bothered by being temporarily overshadowed by ‘legend of the sport’ Lewis Hamilton. The British driver’s debut at Ferrari is diverting attention away from the younger racer, but according to Charles Leclerc, this is the ‘normal course of events’. However, the Monegasque warns Hamilton that ‘Ferrari is bigger than any driver’.
After previously having both Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz as Ferrari teammates, Charles Leclerc will be racing alongside Lewis Hamilton this season. The Monegasque has been driving for Scuderia since 2019, and was even dubbed ‘Mr Ferrari’ by Hamilton himself. However, it was the seven-time world champion who has been more in the Ferrari spotlight than Leclerc in recent months. Critics therefore sometimes see Hamilton taking over the leading role in the team from the Monegasque.
Leclerc himself, however, is not overly concerned. “Ferrari is bigger than any driver,” the Monegasque explains in Melbourne. “That has always been the case. That’s what makes the racing team so special. The support is for the team, not for one specific driver.”
Legend of the Sport
The tifosi (Ferrari fans) seem to disagree with Carlos Sainz Jr, as during Lewis Hamilton‘s first laps for Scuderia, the Italian crowd could be heard repeatedly chanting, “We want the eighth (world title)!” Leclerc understands the enthusiasm of the loyal Ferrari fans.
“Lewis joins the team as a legend of the sport, and that’s why the spotlight is fully on him at the moment,” Leclerc continues. “But I’m completely fine with that. It’s the normal course of events. However, I don’t think there will ever be a battle over who is the number one Ferrari driver.”
