Charles Leclerc Was Once Backed by Lewis Hamilton With Special Prayer for Ferrari Star

“He won at Spa! He wins in Monza!” With this, Charles Leclerc quickly went from a rookie to a star driver in F1. Getting a chance at Ferrari in his sophomore year speaks highly of his credentials. Nonetheless, Leclerc has taken his time to deliver and justify his talent. In his first season at Ferrari, Charles suffered multiple issues before he got his maiden race win in Belgium. But, when he achieved it, Mercedes legend Lewis Hamilton himself vouched for his great future.

Back in 2019, Leclerc was right away on the pace with his teammate Sebastian Vettel at the Scuderia. The Monegasque was outqualifying and outracing the 4-time champion consistently. Still, Charles faltered to take his maiden win until the Belgian GP. Eventually, on a somber weekend in F1, Leclerc took that elusive victory by beating Lewis Hamilton.

After the race, an impressed Hamilton praised Leclerc’s amazing consistency against Vettel and outdriving the champion driver. He also backed Charles with a special prayer for his future greatness. As per GPBlog.com, Lewis said, “He’s [Charles Leclerc] been really unlucky in quite a few races this year. Could easily have been the third win today.”

“So, there’s a lot more greatness to come from him and I’m looking forward to seeing his growth and racing alongside him. It was fun today, trying to chase him. He was just a little bit too quick.”

Hamilton had been the prime challenger for Leclerc at Spa that afternoon. Though, the Ferrari star was just flawless to keep Lewis at bay at Spa and then again in Monza.

Read More: Italian Grand Prix 2019: Twitter Goes Crazy as Charles Leclerc Takes Victory in Monza

Leclerc since has only got 3 more race wins in the 2022 season. While it could have been his year to become one of the elite F1 champions, the Monegasque suffered misery as his title challenge faltered. It may be soon when Charles rethinks his Ferrari championship dreams.

Will Charles Leclerc look beyond Ferrari in Volatile Driver Market Future?

Charles Leclerc has one of the longest F1 contracts with Scuderia Ferrari. Leclerc is contracted to stay at Maranello until the end of 2024. Although, looking at the recent struggles, the star driver for the Scuderia may be a little skeptical about whether he can become world champion with the Italian outfit or not.

Leclerc knows he can be consistent and deliver race-winning performances every weekend. But, due to several mistakes in Ferrari’s pit stops and race strategies, he may have probably lost several good results. Thus, doubts can creep into Charles’s mind about whether he would want to switch teams in the future.

Looking at the Ferrari driver’s star value, he will certainly have takers in the driver market. Mercedes and Toto Wolff have already voiced they might consider taking Leclerc; if he becomes available. It is just about the Monegasque wishing to leave Maranello and the driver market becomes wide open.

While Red Bull is another option, given they have Max Verstappen, they may not want another #1 driver. On the contrary, the Silver Arrows don’t hesitate to have two top drivers. Thus, if Hamilton retires in 2024 or beyond, that might be Leclerc’s shot at Mercedes.

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Still, it is all dependent on how Ferrari fares in the remaining 2 years of Leclerc’s contract. There is the possibility that Leclerc may become a world champion and never leave the Scuderia. Though, the converse scenario cannot be ruled out. What do you think? Will Charles ever leave Ferrari to achieve greatness and be the world champion?