It’s barely been 24 hours since Ferrari dropped a huge surprise on F1 ahead of the Miami GP. After all, few would’ve guessed the manufacturer with the iconic prancing horse logo would ditch its classic red livery ahead of the upcoming Grand Prix. Yet that’s exactly what happened when the team revealed its special white-and-blue racing suits for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who both spoke about victory during the event. Yet that was far from the only surprise, as Leclerc later teamed up with two NWSL stars.

At the PUMA×Ferrari Miami event, Charles Leclerc joined Chicago Stars FC midfielders Julia Grosso and Ludmila da Silva to show off some serious moves with a soccer ball. The F1 driver didn’t merely pass the ball timidly—instead, he busted out trick shots like juggling on his knees and volleys off the wall. Grosso and da Silva, known for their precision in the NWSL, were impressed by how quickly Leclerc adapted to their soccer drills.

Leclerc even volunteered to stand in goal for a round of penalty kicks, sporting his white-and-blue Ferrari kit. Though primarily known for his blazing lap times, he held his own as goalkeeper, diving to save shots from Grosso and da Silva with surprising agility. “Charles Leclerc shows off his soccer skills with Chicago Stars FC’s @juliagrosso7 and @ludmiladasilva09oficial,” GQ Sports captioned their Instagram footage of the session.

It also featured Lewis Hamilton taking center stage with his dribbling prowess. The seven-time world champion successfully navigated a mini–goalpost course, weaving through cones and landing precise shots on target. Hamilton even tried a few signature feints before firing the ball into the net. His performance clearly demonstrated that Lewis Hamilton’s soccer tricks are no mere publicity stunt.

“The goal after the podium in Saudi Arabia? Victory. Things definitely went well in Jeddah; we had a strong weekend, and we’re going in the right direction. We’re continuing to push in this interesting direction I’ve found. This time, we also had more time to practice on the simulator,” LeClerc told Sky Sport Italia after Ferrari unveiled the special racing suits created to commemorate their one-year partnership with HP. Yet, despite the fun times, things are not looking great for Grosso and Silva’s NWSL team.

Chicago’s star struggles to shine in the NWSL

To say the Chicago Stars had a terrible start to the season would be an understatement. In fact, the team is currently in damage control more after they fired second-year head coach Lorne Donaldson. The soccer team has found itself at the bottom of the NWSL standings after Donaldson managed to win only one of the six games this season.

Stars General Manager Richard Feuz issued an official statement after parting ways with their now-former head coach. “We are grateful to Lorne Donaldson for the culture, respect, and sense of self-belief he helped build within our squad,” said the GM. While the team had high hopes for the former Jamaican women’s team coach, things didn’t work out.

The 68-year-old barely dragged the Stars to the 2023 playoffs after finishing in last place with a 10-14-2 record. Although a team firing its head coach is nothing new in the world of sports, there’s a more alarming issue. The NWSL team wasted no time, naming Masaki Hemmi, their first assistant coach, as interim head coach on Wednesday.

However, Hemmi is the Chicago Stars’ 5th head coach since 2021. Red Stars reporter Joe Chatz also highlighted how hiring Hemmi was a surprising move considering Ella Masar’s presence on the Chicago Stars FC assistant coach roster. Hemmi’s only women’s soccer coaching experience before the Chicago Stars FC was with INAC Kobe in Japan.

Meanwhile, Chatz argued that Stars’ assistant coach Ella Masar has extensive on-field experience with several soccer clubs and the USWNT. She also worked as an assistant for the NWSL’s Kansas City Current. Yet, what did you think of Charles Leclerc’s soccer skills and the Red Stars’ sudden firing of their coach? Tell us in the comments.