Leclerc weighs in on ‘craziness’ of Hamilton Ferrari arrival

Charles Leclerc has acknowledged the added spotlight that has been on Ferrari since Lewis Hamilton's arrival at the team.

Hamilton has joined the Italian squad in what has been described as one of the biggest driver transfers in F1 history.

The seven-time champion enjoyed a highly successful stint at Mercedes before opting to end his tenure with the Brackley-based squad at the end of 2024.

Ferrari has traditionally had an intense media focus due to its successful history which sees it sit as the most triumphant team on the grid.

With the publicity only increasing since Hamilton joined, Leclerc asserted he has not been shocked by the response.

“No, I haven’t been surprised,” Leclerc told media including RacingNews365.

“I think Ferrari has always had a lot of attention around the team.

“And of course, this year, it’s even bigger because Lewis is joining the team and he’s obviously a legend of the sport, so it’s normal that there’s even more attention than there normally is.”

Leclerc: Extra attention only a positive

Ferrari ended last year's constructors' championship in second place and has set its sights on fighting for both titles in 2025.

As it attempts to navigate a title fight with the added expectations from Hamilton's arrival, Leclerc outlined he only sees the upside.

“The normal standard is already quite high,” he said.

“Now with Lewis, everything is kind of exploding and there’s obviously a lot of coverage and a lot of requests and all of this.

“But it’s part of the job and the team in the background is doing a really good job because as a driver, it’s not like I can feel it that much.

“I can obviously see the craziness.

“At Fiorano, we drove the car and I can see the craziness around the track and that’s amazing to see. But I only see the positive.”