scuderiabrandon wrote: ↑03 Feb 2024, 01:38
AR3-GP wrote: ↑03 Feb 2024, 01:27
scuderiabrandon wrote: ↑03 Feb 2024, 01:01
Leclerc can announce is departure tomorrow. In case you forgot there is an open seat somewhere else, a few teams will move mountains if he decided to leave. What does the guy need to do to earn some respect. The recency bias is f---ing insane.You are speaking as if he didn't just sign a contract knowing Lewis will be next to him.
The move made sense for Ferrari in so many ways. It's not like the' re bringing this young new talent in. They are fully aware Hamilton is probably in his final stint of his career.
Leclerc stayed because leaving was never a question. He is at his dream team. In his mind he is going to be the next champion for Ferrari. Hamilton is simply an inconvenience to be dealt with. It will take some dealing with but it will take some dealing with. Hamilton is a very talented driver and the media and team will have a tendency to want to circle him more than they will Leclerc. That's just how it is with any 7x WDC.
Just as it was when Vettel was here. The stories were how something is wrong for Vettel and that's why he lost to Hamilton. You already saw this at Mercedes where something was always "wrong" for Hamilton, if he was behind Russell. The same will happen at Ferrari.
Leclerc has stated many times, if he stops believing in this project he will leave. So to say he can't leave because he has not options or he won't leave because it's his dream team is obsurd in so many ways. Not only will he find a seat in an instant but probably at a top 4 team. Many were saying Lewis will finish his career at Mercedes on the 31st of January. Nobody tell them what will happen on February 1st.
I didn't say he can't leave because he doesn't have options. Mercedes would have him in an instant.
What I'm saying is that he was always going to continue after 2025 at Ferrari regardless of Hamilton. It hasn't been long enough for the dream to sour. Hamilton is just an inconvenience to be dealt with and Leclerc is taking it in stride because there's nothing he can do about it other than to deal with it on the track.
Let us revisit this. In 2028 or 2029 if Ferrari hasn't produced a title winning car I'm sure he'll be over the love affair and will be gone but that time is not now.
I like the Leclerc-Ferrari story in isolation but I really like the 7xWDC Hamilton-Ferrari story even more. Many people feel the same. Things will tend to gravitate towards the 7xWDC even if they don't want it to. Media will circle Hamilton like flies to a light. Ferrari will take heat for building a bad car for Hamilton. It will be the Hamilton network. That's why I said Leclerc could only take it in stride and try to use the track performance to shine a light on himself because it's already going to be skewed a lot towards what Hamilton is doing, what Hamilton wants, how Ferrari isn't helping Hamilton, etc.
A lion must kill its prey.