Leclerc senses opportunity amid Hamilton partnership

Charles Leclerc has asserted his upcoming partnership with Lewis Hamilton is a chance to “show what I'm able to do”.

Hamilton will bring his long-standing partnership with Mercedes to an end at the conclusion of the current campaign and link up with Leclerc at Ferrari.

The seven-time F1 champion will fit in as Leclerc's third full-time team-mate at Ferrari following spells working alongside Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz.

With 103 race wins and almost 200 podiums to his name, Hamilton is statistically the most successful driver in F1 history, and is third on the list of race entries.

When asked by Fox Sports Australia if he could take on knowledge from Hamilton, Leclerc replied: “Of course, I will learn from Lewis.

“It's also an opportunity for me to show what I'm able to do, which I take as an exciting challenge. I think it's going to be great.

“I knew [for] quite a few months that it was a possibility, that it was on the table.

“It was still a surprise to learn that there was [an] opportunity of this happening.”

Leclerc waves goodbye to Sainz

Leclerc and Sainz's partnership at Ferrari stretches back to the start of the 2021 season and is on course to be the team's longest-serving line-up since Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello.

Following his race win in Australia last weekend, Leclerc has backed Sainz to find a new home in F1.

Reflecting on his tenure with Sainz, Leclerc added: “I’ve had a really amazing relationship with Carlos.

“We have had amazing years together, more difficult years also together as a team, because the performance was not exactly where we wanted.

“But we have been working extremely well together and we are looking forward to this last year together in order to end that in the best way possible.

“Then Lewis will be joining the team, which is an amazing challenge for me, because he's the most successful driver in F1 history.

“It's going to be great to have him as a team-mate.”