Lewis Hamilton has arguably been one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time. The Briton has already won seven championships, and is locked in a close championship battle with Max Verstappen this season. Given his achievements in the last 15 years, when you earn praise from someone of Hamilton’s caliber, you are indeed special.
Speaking in the pre-race conference at US Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton heaped praise on the young Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc who is currently in only his fourth season as a F1 driver. He joined Ferrari in 2019, and scaled big heights, as he went on to win two iconic races, the SPA GP and Scuderia’s home race, Monza.
However, Ferrari struggled in 2020 but are slowly rebuilding into a much better team. Lewis Hamilton believes Charles Leclerc is one driver to watch out for the future, and stated that he has evolved into a leader.
“It’s been amazing to see Charles’ growth. He’s growing into a leader at a phenomenal team. Of course they’ve had a difficult time, but they’ve just gone from strength to strength, getting quicker, moving up the pack and starting to lean on those that are at the front,” said Hamilton to RacingNews365.
“He’s still so young. I think he’s on his own journey, and he’s going to continue to grow and get stronger,” he added.
Hamilton expects close races with Leclerc in the future
Lewis Hamilton expects close battles with Charles Leclerc in the future, as the Briton has already signed a contract extension at Mercedes till 2023. The Briton believes that Leclerc has already shown his potential so far, and the time will arrive when he converts his potential into titles.
“He’s shown so much potential so early on already. The only way is really up. And he’s got a great team to grow into. I’m excited to have more close races in the future,” Hamilton added.
As for the current season, Lewis Hamilton is locked in a tense championship battle with Max Verstappen as the duo have put on a show for their fans. Six points is all that separates the two contenders, as Verstappen inched forward with a second place finish at Turkish GP.
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