Vasseur shrugs off Hamilton-Leclerc Ferrari friction fears

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has no concerns about how Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will get on together next season and expects competition between them to make the team stronger.

Seven times Formula One champion Hamilton is moving from Mercedes to take the place of Spaniard Carlos Sainz alongside Leclerc at a team that was fighting for the constructors' championship this year.

Sainz and Leclerc won five races between them in 2024 as Ferrari finished overall runners-up, 14 points behind champions McLaren.

Hamilton has a record 105 career wins.

"It's always a challenge," Vasseur told reporters at a Christmas lunch at Ferrari's Fiorano test track when asked how he intended to manage the relationship between drivers and the challenges ahead.

"I had my challenge this year between Charles and Carlos, but I think it was part of the performance.

"Between Charles and Carlos we had some moments – Monza '23 or Vegas '24 – but at the end of the day I think it was beneficial for the performance of the team.

"Charles and Lewis, I'm not particularly worried about this. They have a huge mutual respect, they know each other, they are speaking about this for months now and I think it is much better to fight for one-two or two-three on the grid than for 19-20."

Hamilton, the most successful driver in the history of the championship, is chasing an eighth title while Leclerc is hungry for his first.

Leclerc is regarded as one of the fastest drivers over a single lap, his prowess in qualifying comparing to Hamilton's recent struggles on a Saturday despite the Briton's record 104 career poles.

The pair have been mutually complimentary as adversaries this season, with Leclerc saying he looked forward to learning from Hamilton.

Vasseur said the Monegasque, who won three races this year including in Monaco, Monza and Austin, had raised his game.

"I think Charles improved a lot in the management, not just tyre management, the management of the race, in the approach before the weekend," he said.

"For sure it's never perfect, and we have all to do improvement everywhere, but I think he is in a better shape today than he was 12 months ago. We still have to work and develop this, but he is on the right way."