© Steve Etherington for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Charles Leclerc says Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari signing did not come as a surprise, and explains he knew about the negotiations prior to signing his own contract extension.
Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari surprised the world when it was announced that the Briton will drive for the Italian team in 2025.
After the signing was announced, some media outlets speculated that Charles Leclerc was not aware of Ferrari’s negotiations with Hamilton, before he signed his own contract extension in January.
However, at Ferrari’s 2024 car launch, Leclerc confirmed he was aware of the Hamilton negotiations before he signed his deal.
“Obviously these kinds of deals are not finalized overnight, it takes time, and I was aware of those discussions before signing my deal, so it didn’t come out as a surprise after signing,” Leclerc said.
“Then for the rest I don’t want to comment that much, mostly out of respect for Carlos [Sainz]. We’ve had great years together and we have one more year together to do. We will do absolutely everything to finish on the highest note possible.
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“Obviously Lewis is the most incredible driver, the most successful in history, with a lot of experience as well, which he will bring to the team and myself, which is a good thing.
“But again, with Carlos it’s been great and we’ve got one more year together to try and do the best job possible.”
Leclerc added the fact that Ferrari was trying to sign Hamilton did not affect him at all.
“No, it hasn’t changed anything in my discussions because I focus on myself and what’s good for me, so there was no change of any requirements or whatsoever, for me that wasn’t part of my discussions.
“It was good the team was transparent, for me to not learn it after that, but it didn’t change anything for me,” he concluded.
