There may be appreciable pleasure surrounding the upcoming battle between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari within the 2025 Method 1 marketing campaign.
Over the previous few years, Lewis Hamilton has confronted combined outcomes, with George Russell getting the higher of him in two out of their three seasons collectively at Mercedes. Nonetheless, Hamilton has a powerful observe report of outperforming teammates, notably surpassing each Nico Rosberg and Valtteri Bottas, with Nico Rosberg being the one one to have defeated him constantly, doing so solely as soon as in 2016.
Former Ferrari crew supervisor Peter Windsor predicts that Charles Leclerc could possibly be the British driver’s most formidable challenger but, particularly provided that Hamilton will not have the benefit of a teammate prepared to function a secondary assist driver, as he had with Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes.
Leclerc, who has spent six years at Ferrari, has deeply ingrained himself within the crew’s tradition. He additionally rose by way of Ferrari’s academy program and is managed by Nicholas Todt, the son of the previous Ferrari CEO. These long-standing ties make the Monegasque a major determine inside Ferrari and an much more difficult rival for Hamilton.
Journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm, talking on The Race podcast, highlighted a possible situation the place Hamilton might contemplate leaving Ferrari after the 2025 Method 1 season. In response to Mitchell-Malm, one key issue which may affect Hamilton’s future on the Maranello crew is the competitiveness of the 2025 marketing campaign.
Lewis Hamilton, now on the age of 40, will undoubtedly wish to compete for race wins and titles instantly. As he nears the tip of his illustrious profession, the stress to succeed is larger than ever. Whereas Ferrari’s current efficiency has been inconsistent, the crew has nonetheless produced vehicles able to successful races, an space the place Mercedes has struggled for the reason that new rules took impact in 2022.
If Ferrari’s efficiency in 2025 proves to be underwhelming or uncompetitive, there could possibly be a situation the place the British driver decides to half methods with the crew on the finish of the season.
Scott Mitchell-Malm urged that the one potential change for 2026, which he deemed extraordinarily unlikely, could be if Hamilton’s 2025 season went terribly, main him to determine that he might not proceed. He speculated that if Hamilton have been to be constantly outperformed by Charles Leclerc, he may select to retire. In that case, Ferrari might doubtlessly look to herald Oliver Bearman, particularly if the Ferrari junior had a standout season at Haas. Mitchell-Malm famous that such a situation would seemingly be essential to immediate a shake-up in Ferrari’s driver lineup.
Edd Straw agreed with Mitchell-Malm, stating that it was extremely inconceivable for the Ferrari lineup to not function Hamilton and Leclerc.
Lewis Hamilton’s preliminary experiences with Ferrari are already shedding mild on the challenges he’ll face in 2025. His transfer to the crew has generated an amazing quantity of pleasure, with an estimated 3,000 followers attending his first take a look at session at Fiorano. This stage of enthusiasm is barely anticipated to develop as Hamilton participates in extra assessments, main as much as the official launch of Ferrari’s 2025 automotive on February nineteenth. The anticipation will proceed to construct as the primary pre-season take a look at in Bahrain approaches, giving followers their first take a look at the complete lineup of vehicles for the upcoming season.
As one of the vital standard drivers on the grid, Hamilton’s transition to Ferrari has attracted the eye of F1 followers around the globe. Many are desperate to see how he adapts to his new crew and the way the connection will develop between him and his race engineer, Riccardo Adami. Adami, recognized for his success working with Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz, is predicted to be a key determine in Hamilton’s 2025 marketing campaign. The 2 have already labored collectively throughout personal assessments in Fiorano and Barcelona, and it’s anticipated that Riccardo Adami might be Hamilton’s major race engineer for the upcoming season.
Regardless of encountering a setback in the course of the Barcelona take a look at, Ferrari engineers reported that Hamilton’s impressions have been largely optimistic. The suggestions signifies that Hamilton is adjusting nicely to his new environment. He’s additionally scheduled to proceed testing this week, with a concentrate on evaluating the Pirelli tyres for the 2026 season, a crucial ingredient in making ready for the challenges forward.