“You all smile because you don’t believe me,” Charles Leclerc responds to rumors of replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes

Charles Leclerc finally commented on the recent rumors regarding the 25-year-old replacing Lewis Hamilton.

Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton

Charles Leclerc got the longest contract extension in the history of Scuderia Ferrari. The Monegasque driver aims to win the world championship with the Scuderia. Unfortunately, things have not gone to plan, as the 25-year-old’s time at Maranello has been hampered by issues. Subsequently, it was rumored that Charles could potentially replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes after 2024. However, Leclerc has ruled out such speculation.

The Monegasque driver denied having any discussions with Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff. Leclerc said, “No. Zero. Zero. Really zero.” The 25-year-old was adamant despite the rumors flooding social media. He continued, “You all smile because you don’t believe me, but I promise.”

Charles mentioned his commitment towards Ferrari as the 25-year-old tries his to win the F1 world championship with the Scuderia. The Monegasque driver had faith in his team for the foreseeable future. He explained, “For now, I am fully focused on the project I am in today, which is Ferrari, and I fully trust and am confident for the future.” As such, Leclerc is not looking to replace Lewis Hamilton for now.

However, the Monegasque driver did not dismiss future possibilities, such as replacing Lewis Hamilton. Although for now, Charles Leclerc affirmed his stance on racing for Ferrari and being completely indulged in Maranello’s ambitions. The 25-year-old continued, “Then we will see, but I am fully confident for the project of Ferrari.”

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Charles Leclerc and Ferrari are yet to start contract discussions

IMG COM 20230427 2023 00 9011 — Both drivers have denied rumors about Leclerc potentially filling Hamilton’s seat

When asked if the Monegasque driver had started contract negotiations with his current team, Leclerc mentioned that he and Ferrari would not start talks for the foreseeable future. He said, “No, not yet, Not for the moment.” The 25-year-old once again mentioned his passion and confidence in the Scuderia. He stated, “I’m fully committed to Ferrari, and I love Ferrari.”

Charles clarified that his objective is to achieve his lifelong dream of becoming an F1 world champion with Scuderia Ferrari. Subsequently, rumors were not the priority of the Monegasque. Charles Leclerc concluded, “It has always been a dream for me to be in this team, and my main priority is to win a World Championship with this team. So it’s not something in my mind.”

We don't talk enough about the fact that Charles Leclerc was 3 laps away from WINNING the 2021 British Grand Prix in the midfield SF21 against that Mercedes rocket.

One of his strongest and most underrated performances in Formula 1. pic.twitter.com/EHyXZHoQ63
— Ferrari News ? (@FanaticsFerrari) April 21, 2023

Thus, Charles Leclerc has ruled out any possible talks with Mercedes. The Monegasque driver is completely determined to win with Ferrari and is not concerned about replacing Lewis Hamilton in the future. Although, the 25-year-old has not delved into discussions with the Scuderia yet, which could open the door for Leclerc to negotiate with the Silver Arrows in the future.

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Tags: Charles Leclerc Lewis Hamilton

#About the Author

Armaan Agarwal

(2570 Articles Published)

Armaan Agarwal is a Motorsport Sub-editor and Content Manager at Firstsportz. He has written over 2500 articles with around 1000 edited pieces under his belt. Armaan has years of experience in the field of journalism, having followed Formula 1 and NASCAR for almost a decade. Nico Rosberg's title victory at the 2016 Abu Dhabi GP against Lewis Hamilton remains engraved in his memory. He started his journey with his own motorsport blog in 2017. At Firstsportz, Armaan provides deep insight into the sport for fans through his special editorial pieces. Armaan has several other skills, including social media content creation, script writing, and debating. He completed his Bachelors of Arts in Mass Communication with a gold medal from St. Xavier’s University Kolkata. Presently, he is pursuing his Post Graduation in Broadcast Journalism at the India Today Media Institute with a keen eye at the ever-evolving dynamics of a newsroom. Apart from motorsport, he is an avid reader and keeps himself up to date with current affairs.

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