Lewis Hamilton will face his ‘biggest challenge’ in Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, warns David Coulthard, as he insists the Briton’s new team-mate is ‘brilliantly fast’ and a ‘champion in the making’

Overtaking Charles Leclerc will be Lewis Hamilton’s toughest challenge at Ferrari, Formula 1 legend David Coulthard has warned.

Mercedes driver Hamilton stunned the sport earlier this month by agreeing a £40million bomb switch to Ferrari from 2025, ending his 13-year stint with the Silver Arrows.

Despite once claiming he wanted to see out his career at Mercedes and even remain a brand ambassador there for the rest of his life, Hamilton exercised an exit clause in the second year of his new two-year deal to join the sport’s most famous team. on a multi-year contract.

Carlos Sainz confirmed he will make way for Hamilton at the end of next season, with Leclerc set to partner the seven-time world champion at the Scuderia.

Coulthard believes Leclerc will represent the Briton’s ‘biggest challenge’ when he arrives in the Ferrari fold as he backs the 26-year-old driver to become a future world champion.

Hamilton shocked the sport with a £40m bombshell switch from Mercedes to Ferrari from 2025

He admitted his shock at Hamilton’s contact, he said Planet F1: ‘I just never imagined that he would effectively – even on good terms – break the winning streak that has been going on since he was 12 years old with Mercedes.

“But having said that, I think it’s very exciting for Formula 1. It will give Ferrari a huge boost when it comes to bringing (in) engineers and people really understand that they’re getting an incredible driver .

‘I must say, I think he will find one of his biggest challenges in Charles Leclerc.

‘Charles is a young, brilliantly fast racing driver. Yes, he doesn’t have Lewis’ world championships and experience, but I think he’s a master at waiting, so this may well be where Lewis faces his biggest challenge.

“I think Charles is one of the fastest single-lap drivers out there.”

Hamilton has been uncharacteristically out of the championship picture for the past two seasons, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen dominating the Formula 1 circuit.

Hamilton has been overshadowed by Red Bull’s three-time championship winner Max Verstappen (left) over the past few seasons but hopes to return to the top of F1 at the Scuderia

Coulthard insists Leclerc is a future world champion and described him as ‘brilliantly fast’

The Dutchman took his third consecutive world title in October, establishing himself as one of the all-time greats in the sport’s history.

Although Hamilton will be keen to topple Red Bull’s dominance at Mercedes, Martin Brundle agreed team-mate Leclerc could end up as the 39-year-old veteran’s biggest rival in terms of pace.

He told Sky Sports: ‘Leclerc I think potentially, on a straight qualifying lap, is the fastest driver out there at the moment, even including Max Verstappen.

“He’s blindingly fast, tends to run into a few things he shouldn’t from time to time and fly out of the way, Charles, because he’s just driving so close to the limit.”