Leclerc: "An honour" to be called a rival by Hamilton

Sauber rookie and soon-to-be Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has said that he's honoured to be seen as a threat for the title in 2019 by Lewis Hamilton, as the Monegasque will make the switch to Ferrari after an incredible rookie campaign with Sauber.

The 21-year-old Leclerc struggled in the first few races of the season as he was still getting accustomed to life in F1, but when he got going, there was no stopping him. He's accumulated 33 points for Sauber this year, which is 28 points more than Sauber scored as a team in 2017. He's often found in Q3 during qualifying, a place where Saubers really have no business of being, and his teammate Marcus Ericsson is usually miles behind him.

Leclerc has now gotten the call-up to Ferrari, where he'll be lining up next to Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton is well aware of the threat that the young Leclerc poses, saying that he's more worried about him and Max Verstappen than he is about Vettel.

READ: Hamilton is worrying more about Leclerc and Verstappen than Vettel for 2019

"It's definitely an honour to hear that from Lewis," Leclerc responded to ESPN. "He's an incredible driver, and I've watched him since quite a bit of years before arriving in Formula 1.

"I'll just try to do the best I can next year, but it's definitely not going to be easy. He's very experienced and an amazing driver. But it's definitely good to hear that."

It will be a big test for Leclerc to drive at Ferrari, as pressure is at its very highest there on the entire grid.