Monaco on his Williams teammate: “I will miss him as a person, but we didn’t always like each other on the track. Hamilton is one of the big, big challenges, I want to learn from him.”
The Dutch Grand Prix will not be trivial for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. The Ferrari drivers will be teammates for the 81st time in Formula 1. Among the former Ferrari drivers, the second-most-competitioned duo, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, have joined. In this adventure born in 2021, three places have gone to the Spaniard, who will move to Williams at the end of the season; four wins, however, were signed by Monaco, and confirmed by Cavallino next year as Lewis Hamilton’s partner. Relations between Leclerc and Sainz have always been healthy, but not without moments of extreme tension. Charles himself spoke about it openly on the F1 Beyond the Grid podcast.
Friendship
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At the end of the season, the couple will separate, and in a certain aspect, Leclerc admits that he regrets: “I will miss Carlos, the person. We get along very well. Unfortunately in this world, everything is overly analyzed and criticized, but we have always had a good relationship. We share many interests and there are memories that I will carry with me forever.” But Charles does not deny that their relationship has gone through complicated stages: “I wore the helmet, there were moments when I hated him and he hated me, because we did not see things the same way. But then everything can be fixed by talking to each other.”
Motivation
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In 2025, Hamilton will join Leclerc, and the Monegasque already has a clear idea of what the arrival of the seven-time world champion in Maranello will entail: “He will have a very positive impact. A champion like Lewis brings a lot of motivation to every member of the team. This is the first positive impact he will have at Ferrari. He will benefit from all the experience he has gained over these years with Mercedes. He brings a different way of working, a different vision, and that only benefits the team.” Charles does not deny that the comparison with Hamilton motivates him: “I will have the same car as the most successful driver in Formula 1. It will be very exciting for me to learn from one of the best. Likewise, beating Lewis and showing what I am capable of will be a great challenge and a great incentive.”
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