Commentary: Leclerc against Hamilton, the clash of cultures

Charles Leclerc has been driving for Ferrari for six years. He had Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz as teammates, and they always beat them in the championship (except Carlos Sainz in 2021). With Lewis Hamilton, everything will change. After 12 years with the Mercedes team, the Briton will move to Ferrari on January 1, 2025.

Hamilton has never been to Maranello, the headquarters of the Scuderia. When he walks through the doors of the legendary factory for the first time next month, his world will change. That of Ferrari too.

The Scuderia is accustomed to great drivers. She lined them all up in her cars, from Juan-Manuel Fangio to Sebastian Vettel, including Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso. Even Ayrton Senna agreed to end his career there. The prancing horse brand has always made drivers dream, and Lewis Hamilton could not resist its call.

The seven-time world champion was hired by John Elkann himself, negotiating with the president of Ferrari a pharaonic salary, unique in the history of Formula 1: 100 million dollars per year, more than twice that of Max Verstappen at Red Bull. A historic remuneration for an association which will be as historic.

Because on the Ferrari side, “stealing” Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes represents the coup of the century in terms of marketing: fans will rush, sponsors are already scrambling to participate in the party, while “Lewismania” will reach unprecedented levels .

Just by selling caps and t-shirts in the colors of Lewis Hamilton's favorite number, 44, and by adding new sponsors, the Italian team will recover much more than the salary it will pay to its new driver -fetish.

And Charles Leclerc, in all this? The Monegasque will have difficulty making weight, or even simply existing, in the media-marketing tumult centered around Lewis Hamilton.

In Abu Dhabi, on the evening of the last 2024 Grand Prix, we already saw him displaying a funeral face while greeting his future teammate. Officially because Ferrai had just failed to win the constructors' title. But also, undoubtedly, because he knows that his new life will prove to be much less easy than with Carlos Sainz.

Charles Leclerc's only chance will be to regularly beat Lewis Hamilton, both in qualifying and in the race. But as the Monegasque suffers from changeable moods, he risks having difficulty digesting seeing the spotlight focused on Lewis Hamilton.

F1 drivers are all driven by boundless egos. This is what allows them to survive in the paddock, but it is also what can worsen their depression when the elements are contrary. This year, Charles Leclerc distinguished himself by tantrums as a spoiled child, notably that of Las Vegas, when he complained of being “too nice” and of having passed himself off as Carlos Sainz… and the Photos of him on social networks show more of a worldly dandy than a sportsman who wants it.

Lewis Hamilton has nothing to lose by moving to Ferrari. He has nothing left to prove either. If he can win his eighth title in red, so much the better, it will be absolute glory, he will have succeeded where many have failed. If not, he will have at least tried.

Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, has everything to lose. No one would forgive someone close to Ferrari for 6 years for being beaten by a driver coming from outside. The young person beaten by a man over 40? His reputation would take a hit. 2025 sounds like the year of all dangers for Charles Leclerc.