Hamilton and Leclerc F1 rivalry takes unlikely turn as Ferrari top dog battle begins

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc could be the major Formula 1 rivalry during the 2025 season once the former joins Ferrari - but the flames are being stoked already.

Hamilton will leave Mercedes for Maranello at the end of the 2024 campaign after triggering a release clause in his Silver Arrows contract that was otherwise set to expire next season.

F1 HEADLINES: Ricciardo future handed BOOST as ambitious F1 team announce major signing

READ MORE: Newey drops MAJOR hint on F1 future in Hamilton admission

Once at the Scuderia, he will partner with Leclerc who himself extended his own existing deal with the team at the start of the season.

Although there is no existing feud between the pair, that could all change if there is a drivers' championship in realistic grasp of either next term.

For now though it's all smiles between the on-track rivals, although an unlikely friendly feud has developed off track in recent weeks.

What kind of dogs do Hamilton and Leclerc have?

The arrival of Leclerc's pet inside the paddock, Leo - a miniature longhaired dachshund, at the race in Miami took the paddock by storm earlier in the season and he has been at many races since.

However, that has drawn comparisons with F1's top dog, Roscoe, with the bulldog having long been a companion for Hamilton at grand prix weekends.

The F1 stars' pets came face to face recently though as Hamilton uploaded wholesome pictures onto his Instagram account with the caption 'Dog Dads'.

The images showed the 39-year-old and the Monegasque star proudly posing with their dogs, as well as petting both.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton)

The dogs themselves also seemed to enjoy giving each other the run-around, perhaps foreshadowing how F1 could look in the future.

For now though Hamilton and Leclerc will have more eyes on the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend - with Hamilton looking to build on his famous British GP win that ended a near three-year wait for an F1 victory.

Leclerc though will be desperate to regain some form though, having suffered a major slump since winning the Monaco Grand Prix in May with Ferrari appearing to have struggled following recent upgrades.

READ MORE: Audi announce major signing ahead of F1 arrival

Written by

Dan Ripley - Global Editor

I've been a massive F1 fan since the mid 1990s and continue to study the history of the sport long before that. As an experienced motor sport reporter covering F1, MotoGP and the LeMans 24 Hour race, being part of GPFans has allowed me to work with a diverse team with all sorts of different backgrounds in watching the sport and given me a greater appreciation of F1.

View full biography

Related

More F1 news

Latest F1 news

Lewis Hamilton ditched private jet 'guilt trip' to 'save the planet'

• Yesterday 16:56

EXCLUSIVE: Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari at the Nurburgring? What comes next after Verstappen success

• Yesterday 12:58

Verstappen 'looking for Mercedes F1 move' as pressure ramps up on Russell and Antonelli

• Yesterday 20:27

Christian Horner and Mercedes face Alpine F1 move being hijacked by baseball billionaire

• Yesterday 18:58

Lewis Hamilton given FIA lifeline to beat Mercedes

• March 23, 2026 18:55

Max Verstappen team-mate blasts British media after 'weak link' post on F1 champion

• Yesterday 14:55