Charles Leclerc rejects Hamilton question: “Out of respect for Carlos, we went through a lot together”. Charles Leclerc freely discusses the expectations for Ferrari this year, Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz.

Charles Leclerc freely discusses the expectations for Ferrari this year, Lewis Hamilton, and Carlos Sainz. What are Charles Leclerc’s expectations for Ferrari this year? The Monegasque is cautious but doesn’t hide his optimism for the 2024 Formula 1 season.

Interviewed by Italian journalist Carlo Vanzini on Sky Sport, Charles Leclerc admitted: “We’ve done a lap for now, it’s difficult to go into detail. Everything went as expected, which is always a good sign. We’ll wait a bit longer before making more detailed comments.”

Delving into specifics, Charles Leclerc explained the work done in Maranello with the simulator: “We’ve done a lot of work this year on the car’s reliability; last year was a weak point. Bahrain, in particular, too much wind in the afternoon. As soon as I got in the car, I immediately understood that something was wrong. We weren’t heading in the right direction. Here, we focused on understanding this characteristic of the car, but being more specialized in the drivability of the car, the simulator results are excellent.” – he pointed out.

Bahrain, a real test
However, the Bahrain tests are crucial to confirm the virtual data with real ones. “It was only one lap, but the data was still taken,” Charles Leclerc told Sky Sport. “In Bahrain, we hope to confirm this positive feeling. Drivability doesn’t necessarily mean performance. This will allow us to be at 100% of the car’s potential. We have to wait and compare when there are other cars on the track.”

Charles Leclerc hopes for the championship and continues to believe in it this year: “I will do everything. I will give 200%.”

And about Lewis Hamilton…
There’s also room to talk about Lewis Hamilton. Charles Leclerc confirmed that he has always been aware of the possibility that Lewis Hamilton would come to Ferrari.

However, the focus is on this season. Freshly contracted, #16 revealed: “I’m very happy to have renewed for many years with Ferrari. It’s the team of the heart that believed in me from the beginning, and continuing means a lot. I truly hope that this new contract will lead us to my first world title to ensure Ferrari returns to the top of the standings.” – he added.

Respect for Carlos Sainz
Can Charles Leclerc already envision himself as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate? As reiterated before, the Monegasque has his eyes still set on 2024 and on Carlos Sainz, with whom he will race in red for the last time.

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“Out of respect for Carlos, I wouldn’t want to talk too much,” he admitted. Then a thought for his teammate: “There’s Carlos; we’ve had many beautiful years together. He’s been a great teammate, but we still have a year to do together.”

And Lewis? “A great champion. I wouldn’t want to comment too much. I’m still Carlos’s teammate, we went through a lot together. We will ensure that we finish this collaboration together at Ferrari in the best possible way.” – the Monegasque driver concluded.

Source: f1ingenerale