‘Not easy to manage’ – Ferrari sent Lewis Hamilton warning by Charles Leclerc’s former teammate
Ferrari are on the rise in Formula One at last but managing two superstar drivers will prove tough after Lewis Hamilton’s arrival. That is the view from former F1 driver Romain Grosjean, who can tell Hamilton exactly what being teammates with Charles Leclerc is like. Vasseur has a strong relationship with Leclerc and helped nurture Hamilton The IndyCar racer was competing for Haas in 2016 when Leclerc arrived as a development driver from the Ferrari Driver Academy. The Monegasque star got his first taste behind the wheel of an F1 car in the first free practice session at the British Grand Prix. Leclerc finished three places below teammate Grosjean, with Hamilton topping the timesheets ahead of his Silverstone triumph. That 2016 season remains infamous for Hamilton’s clashes with Mercedes pal Nico Rosberg, who ultimately won the driver’s title. Nearly a decade later, the Brit icon could find himself at loggerheads with a friend-turned-foe again when he joins the Scuderia in 2025. Leclerc saw his frustrations at his current teammate Carlos Sainz boil over in Las Vegas after perceiving Ferrari to have played favourites. A similar scenario could occur under Hamilton when he reunites with Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, whom he worked with previously in GP2 and the F3 Euro Series, in hopes of claiming an outright record eighth championship. The move is only the second of his career having won the world title with McLaren in 2008, before moving to Mercedes five years later. Hamilton’s decision to quit his boyhood team coincided with the Silver Arrows’ domination of the Turbo-Hybrid era that yielded the most successful partnership that F1 has ever seen. During an exclusive interview with talkSPORT Driving, Grosjean the 39-year-old may have struck gold for a second time with Ferrari. Hamilton will partner Charles Leclerc for Ferrari in 2025AFP He said: “Yes, Ferrari’s definitely a team to keep an eye on, and they’re definitely on the rise for next year, which could be super exciting. “Lewis could have made the right move at the right time, for sure, joining Fred Vasseur at Ferrari. “But Charles is kind of the kids that they saw growing up there. So it’s not going to be easy to manage. “I’m not going to lie to you and for sure, Charles wants his chance to be world champion, and then Lewis wants the chance to get that Eight World Championship that should probably have had. “So it will be good to see. All I really want as a fan is to see Ferraris’, McLaren, Red Bull, and hopefully, Mercedes, being at the front and fighting, and not knowing who is going to be on top of a weekend and I think that’s what makes Formula One exciting.” Grosjean is best remembered by F1 fans for his incredible recovery from a horror crash at the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix. Leclerc and Sainz came into conflict again in VegasGetty Hamilton is no stranger from battling a teammate for the title His burnt-out Haas chassis from that race is currently on show at the F1 Exhibition in London – although he doesn’t want to see it yet. “I’ve heard a lot about it, but I’ve not been there,” he concluded. “Not sure I want to see that chassis. “I still don’t have the helmet home. I don’t know if I feel like it, but I know it’s fantastic for the fans to have the chance to see that.” You can still see the F1 Exhibition at ExCeL London with tickets still available at https://f1exhibition.com/london
Ferrari are on the rise in Formula One at last but managing two superstar drivers will prove tough after Lewis Hamilton’s arrival.
That is the view from former F1 driver Romain Grosjean, who can tell Hamilton exactly what being teammates with Charles Leclerc is like.
The IndyCar racer was competing for Haas in 2016 when Leclerc arrived as a development driver from the Ferrari Driver Academy.
The Monegasque star got his first taste behind the wheel of an F1 car in the first free practice session at the British Grand Prix.
Leclerc finished three places below teammate Grosjean, with Hamilton topping the timesheets ahead of his Silverstone triumph.
That 2016 season remains infamous for Hamilton’s clashes with Mercedes pal Nico Rosberg, who ultimately won the driver’s title.
Nearly a decade later, the Brit icon could find himself at loggerheads with a friend-turned-foe again when he joins the Scuderia in 2025.
Leclerc saw his frustrations at his current teammate Carlos Sainz boil over in Las Vegas after perceiving Ferrari to have played favourites.
A similar scenario could occur under Hamilton when he reunites with Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, whom he worked with previously in GP2 and the F3 Euro Series, in hopes of claiming an outright record eighth championship.
The move is only the second of his career having won the world title with McLaren in 2008, before moving to Mercedes five years later.
Hamilton’s decision to quit his boyhood team coincided with the Silver Arrows’ domination of the Turbo-Hybrid era that yielded the most successful partnership that F1 has ever seen.
During an exclusive interview with talkSPORT Driving, Grosjean the 39-year-old may have struck gold for a second time with Ferrari.
He said: “Yes, Ferrari’s definitely a team to keep an eye on, and they’re definitely on the rise for next year, which could be super exciting.
“Lewis could have made the right move at the right time, for sure, joining Fred Vasseur at Ferrari.
“But Charles is kind of the kids that they saw growing up there. So it’s not going to be easy to manage.
“I’m not going to lie to you and for sure, Charles wants his chance to be world champion, and then Lewis wants the chance to get that Eight World Championship that should probably have had.
“So it will be good to see. All I really want as a fan is to see Ferraris’, McLaren, Red Bull, and hopefully, Mercedes, being at the front and fighting, and not knowing who is going to be on top of a weekend and I think that’s what makes Formula One exciting.”
Grosjean is best remembered by F1 fans for his incredible recovery from a horror crash at the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix.
His burnt-out Haas chassis from that race is currently on show at the F1 Exhibition in London – although he doesn’t want to see it yet.
“I’ve heard a lot about it, but I’ve not been there,” he concluded. “Not sure I want to see that chassis.
“I still don’t have the helmet home. I don’t know if I feel like it, but I know it’s fantastic for the fans to have the chance to see that.”
You can still see the F1 Exhibition at ExCeL London with tickets still available at https://f1exhibition.com/london
