Credits: IMAGO / HochZwei

When Lewis Hamilton confirmed earlier in February that he would be leaving Mercedes after a long-standing partnership to join Ferrari, it came as something of a bombshell for many. The timing of this action led many to speculate that Charles Leclerc might have taken this news as a surprise. However, during that period, the Monegasque clarified things by asserting that the team informed him of these discussions. Now, according to recent sources, the 26-year-old has revealed fresh details. Leclerc stated that even though he was aware of Hamilton’s talks, he was never certain the Briton would actually finalize the contract.

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According to FormulaPassion, the Monegasque said, “I honestly never thought that Hamilton would arrive. Obviously, I knew what was happening before you, but when I was told that he was signing, I was speechless. It was a real surprise for me.”

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Hamilton has been associated with Mercedes since he was 13 years old. However, with many twists and turns in his career, he became the Silver Arrows’ lead driver in 2013 and has maintained a strong relationship with them ever since. Nevertheless, given the team’s struggles over the previous two seasons, Hamilton may have decided to leave the squad.

However, this isn’t the sole explanation for the seven-time champion’s decision to quit the team. Given that the #44 driver has always wanted to race for Ferrari and that this opportunity came from a man Hamilton has known since his junior career, he may have decided to finally say goodbye to the Brackley team.

Lewis Hamilton’s exit might prompt a mass exodus from Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton’s exit has certainly prompted a handful of Mercedes members to follow suit. While the performance director of Mercedes, Loic Serra has already departed, Jerome D’Ambrosio will be the most recent to do so. After leaving the German team as the director of driver development, Ambrosio will assume leadership of Ferrari’s young driver program, according to Motorsport.com.

Besides him, rumors say that Riccardo Musconi, Mercedes’s head of trackside performance, will also be joining Ferrari. Observing these departures undoubtedly reveals something about the allure of the Prancing Horse. However, in Charles Leclerc’s opinion, it is the magic of Frederic Vasseur that has attracted so many high-profile individuals.

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As per FormulaPassion, Leclerc said, ” This shows the vision of our boss Fred Vasseur, his plans for Ferrari. We want to bring the Red team to the world title.” Leclerc went on to say that Vasseur’s approach to working truly impresses him.

Given that Ferrari is a team that functions differently from other teams, the #16 driver has claimed that the Frenchman has picked up basics far quicker than anticipated. Vasseur does appear to have led Ferrari fairly skillfully.

Leclerc, for example, stated in a previous interview that the Scuderia, who had fallen behind Red Bull last season by significant margins, now only trails them by three to four-tenths.