Charlec Leclerc’s superb qualifying record will be a ‘genuine concern’ for Lewis Hamilton, according to former F1 star Karun Chandhok.

Leclerc and Hamilton will battle it out to be Ferrari’s top dog in 2025.

And while Hamilton boasts seven world titles and more than a century of Grand Prix wins, Leclerc is a specialist over one lap.

Asked whether Hamilton could be playing catch-up at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, Chandhok told The Fast and The Curious podcast: “Yeah, I think that is a genuine concern.

“If you look at [the] momentum coming off last year, Lewis didn’t have a great run in qualifying and Charles did.

“I think that actually if Lewis is three, four places behind Leclerc on the grid, and he could be because the gaps are so tight if he loses five, six seconds in the first stint coming through, Leclerc is now too good to give up that advantage.”