Lewis Hamilton will face his 'biggest challenge' with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, warns David Coulthard, as he insists the Briton's new teammate is 'brilliantly fast' and a 'champion in the making'

Outperforming 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 move to Ferrari from 2025, ending his 13-year stay with the Silver Arrows.

Despite once claiming he would end his career at Mercedes and even remain a brand ambassador there for the rest of his life, Hamilton took advantage of an exit clause to join the sport's most famous team in the second year of his new two-year contract to close. on a multi-year contract.

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

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

Hamilton shocked the sport with a stunning £40 million move from Mercedes to Ferrari from 2025

He admitted he was shocked by Hamilton's move, he said Planet F1: 'I never thought that he would effectively – even under good conditions – break the winning relationship that has existed since he was twelve years old with Mercedes.

'But having said that, I think it is 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 are getting an incredible driver.

“I have to say that I think he will find one of his biggest challenges in Charles Leclerc.

'Charles is a young, brilliantly fast driver. Yes, he doesn't have the World Championships and experience of Lewis, but I think he is a champion in the making, so that could be where Lewis faces his biggest challenge.

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

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

Hamilton has been in the shadow of Red Bull's three-time championship winner Max Verstappen (left) in recent seasons but hopes to return to the top of F1 with the Scuderia

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

The Dutchman claimed his third consecutive world title in October, establishing himself as one of the greats in the history of the sport.

While Hamilton is keen to overturn Red Bull's dominance at Mercedes, Martin Brundle agreed that teammate Leclerc could become the 39-year-old veteran's biggest rival in terms of pace.

He told Air sports: 'I think Leclerc is potentially, in a straight qualifying round, the fastest driver there is at the moment, including Max Verstappen.

“He's blindingly fast, tends to occasionally hit a few things he shouldn't have done and fly off the road, Charles, because he's driving so close to the limit.”