Charles Leclerc names Lewis Hamilton in his top-3 greatest drivers of all time list, but who are the other two?

Charles Leclerc named who he feels is the best Formula 1 driver of all time. Heading the list was his future F1 teammate, Lewis Hamilton, but the other two names were not surprising either as he named arguably the best talents that F1 has witnessed in its long history.

Recently, Leclerc was questioned about the best drivers in the sport's history. He named the legendary Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. Both the drivers are known for their aggressive driving style and immense success in Formula 1. While Senna's career ended early with a crash in Imola, 1994, that claimed his life, he managed to become one of the best drivers that F1 ever witnessed. He won three titles during his career.

Michael Schumacher, on the other hand, was the rising star at the time. As a matter of fact, he won his first World Championship that season with Benetton and maintained that form in 1995. He then moved to Ferrari. After a few challenging seasons, he won five consecutive F1 titles between 2000 and 2004, making him the most successful driver at the time. He retired with seven championships, 91 race wins, and 68 pole positions, the most at the time.

If there was ever a driver who could rival Schumacher's achievements, it was Lewis Hamilton. After joining McLaren in 2007, he quickly adapted to the team and secured his first championship title in 2008. Hamilton transitioned to Mercedes in 2013 and began breaking records with the dominant team. He matched Schumacher's seven world championships but surpassed him in terms of race wins (105) and pole positions (104).

The Briton will join Charles Leclerc with the Ferrari squad in the 2025 season. It is apparent that he hopes to win his record-breaking eighth F1 title with the Italian team. Although Leclerc may face stiff competition from Hamilton next season, he believes that Hamilton's experience will benefit the team overall.

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Charles Leclerc feels Lewis Hamilton will have a very positive impact on Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton shocked the F1 paddock prior to the start of the season by announcing his departure from Mercedes and joining Ferrari.

This unexpected move is anticipated to have a significant impact on the team, and Charles Leclerc believes that Hamilton's extensive experience will be a positive addition.

"When a champion like Lewis gets to any team, it brings a lot of motivation out of every single person,” Charles Leclerc said. He will come along with all the experience that he's had over the years with Mercedes – a different way of working, a different vision – and this is always benefitting a team."

At the same time, however, Leclerc feels that he will have to keep his performance at the top because battling Hamilton in the same car could prove to be a difficult job.

"Obviously for me it's going to be amazing because I’ll have in the same car as me the most successful driver in F1 history. That will be both extremely interesting for me to learn from one of the best ever, as well as a really big challenge and motivation to beat Lewis and to show what I'm capable of," he said.

"With Lewis joining the team, he will definitely be a benchmark so it will be very important for me to be on my top level," he added.

Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz, who has partnered with Charles Leclerc since the 2021 season, will no longer be behind the Italian machinery in the next season. He struck a deal with Williams Racing, where he will race with Alex Albon. While the team is not in the best shape, his father Carlos Sainz Sr. believes they are showing signs of positive development.