Charles Leclerc has fuelled speculation over he and Lewis Hamilton becoming F1 teammates by claiming "anyone on the grid" would want to partner the British driver.
Hamilton's future at current team Mercedes has been the subject of much speculation, with the Silver Arrows struggling to produce a competitive car in 2022, and also well off the pace of Red Bull this season. And it's led to the seven-time world champion being heavily linked to Ferrari, having previously admitted his regret at never representing the Scuderia.
Both sides have now played down the rumours though, with the British driver now almost certain to extend his new contract at Toto Wolff's team. That would scupper the notion of potentially mouth watering contract with Leclerc, who was second in the standings behind Max Verstappen last season.
But the future of the Monegasque man is also now up in the air, with his own team currently in turmoil. And recent frustrations were compounded by an 11th placed finish at the Spanish Grand Prix, where he claimed his car was "weird" to drive.
Journalist and former F1 team boss Peter Windsor, had previously opened debate on a potential partnership, albeit via Leclerc swapping other teams and not the other way around: "If you said to Charles right now – if he was here and you're having dinner tonight privately – who would you rather have in the other Merc if you're going to go, George or Lewis? He'd say Lewis, for sure," he said on his YouTube channel.
And Leclerc has seemingly endorsed that motion, having been asked if he would welcome the arrival of Hamilton at Ferrari: “If I say yes, I imagine it being the title of every newspaper," he answered, via motorsportweek.
“Lewis is such an incredible driver, has achieved so much in the sport, so I think anybody on the grid would love to have Lewis as a team-mate, as everybody would learn a lot from him. But again, I’m happy where I am, and with Carlos [Sainz] it’s a great relationship too.”
HAVE YOUR SAY! Can Lewis Hamilton ever win an elusive eighth world title ? Comment below.
Hamilton's hopes of an unprecedented eighth world title have been lifted by the upgrades to the W14 vehicles. And he spoke positively after the team's best weekend of the season in Barcelona, where he was second and George Russell third.
"A big, big thank you to everyone back at the factory for continuing to push and bringing us a little bit closer to the Bulls," he said. "They're still a bit ahead, but we will keep chasing them down, but this is an amazing result. George did a great job today as well."
The star's barren run has continued though, having failed to win a single race in a season for the first time in his career in 2022. And despite two podium finishes this time around, he's yet to take the chequered flag after seven races.
