Charles Leclerc says he enjoyed an unexpected respite during F1’s winter break as he found himself comfortably “in the shadow” of his new Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton following the Briton’s move to Maranello.
The seven-time world champion’s arrival brought a surge of attention to Ferrari, a team desperate to end its championship drought since 2008.
But for Leclerc, now in his seventh year with the Prancing Horse, this shift allowed him to focus inward, embracing a quieter role that he described with genuine contentment.
“It’s really nice to see,” commented Leclerc, referring to Hamilton early days at Ferrari.
“Obviously it’s very different the situation that Lewis finds himself in joining the team.
“When I joined, I only had one year in Formula 1 so Formula 1 was still new to me and I had to learn how a team like Ferrari would work in Formula 1, even though I knew the factory and everything by being in [the] Ferrari Driver Academy.”
Hamilton’s vast experience, forged in multiple title-winning teams, offered Leclerc a fresh perspective.
“For Lewis, an Italian team is new to him, but he’s achieved so much. It’s really cool to see what it was like for him to have so much success in other teams and the way they used to work.
“We’ve learned a lot and it was really exciting also to see how happy and excited he was about the whole thing.”
©Ferrari
The fresh dynamic at the Scuderia allowed Leclerc to take a step back during the off-season, a position he welcomed.
“For me, that meant that the off-season was a bit more in the shadow, but I enjoyed it,” he revealed.
“I focused on myself, I’m pushing at the maximum to be ready for the first race and I’m really looking forward to this year.
“I’m hoping that we’ll start the year in a more positive way compared to last year.”
Ferrari’s intensive testing program, featuring sessions at Fiorano and Barcelona, helped Hamilton adapt, while Leclerc quietly observed, absorbing lessons for the road ahead.
Leclerc’s time watching his teammate behind the wheel revealed an unexpected alignment, one that could steer Ferrari’s 2025 challenger, the SF-25, toward success.
“Yeah, I was surprised,” the Monegasque admitted when asked about their synergy in setup and development.
“I mean, our driving style is very similar. We both like to push quite a lot, especially the entries and on that, we are similar.
“That’s positive because I think it requires the same thing out of the car and I think as a team that is always a good thing because we’re definitely pushing in the same direction because we need the same things.
“That was good and we’re working super well together.”
Off the track, their collaboration extended to less thrilling duties.
“We’ve spent quite a bit of time together since the beginning of the year. Less on track, more in the studio to do pictures, which is not the part we enjoy most, but it’s part of the job,” Leclerc noted.
As pre-season testing unfolds, his excitement is palpable: “I’m looking forward to race with him and hopefully bring Ferrari back to the top.”
With Hamilton’s expertise and Leclerc’s focus, Ferrari’s 2025 title bid is building momentum, one shadow at a time.
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