Lewis Hamilton’s much-anticipated debut for Ferrari in 2025 is one of the biggest talking points of the upcoming season. Dutch F1 commentator Nelson Valkenburg is looking forward to the #44 driver hitting the ground running with the Scuderia but has his apprehensions about the 40-year-old’s mentality heading into Maranello.
Last season was a bitter pill to swallow for the seven-time world champion as he was bruised by his teammate George Russell, especially in Qualifying. Valkenburg is of the opinion that Hamilton needs to regain his mojo and build up his confidence going into this season to avoid a similar fate at the hands of Charles Leclerc.
“You can see if he regains that trust. Then he starts to think: okay, you all see Leclerc as a future world champion, but I’m still here too. If he starts thinking like that, he will undoubtedly show what he still has in the house. I am convinced that he will be successful there,” Valkenburg explained on The Race’s F1 podcast.
On more than one occasion, it looked as though the #44 driver had given up while fighting the #63 driver. In the latter half of the 2024 season, Hamilton went as far as conceding that he was not good enough anymore.
Although Hamilton did struggle immensely, it could also be because of a lack of motivation, with Mercedes not fighting for podiums and wins consistently. Now, with Hamilton set to drive for Ferrari this season, the idea of a new challenge can give him the motivation he needs to rediscover his form.
Veteran F1 analyst claims Hamilton still holds an edge over Leclerc
While Hamilton may have suffered a disappointing end to his stint with Mercedes last year, F1 analyst Mark Hughes believes that the Briton still holds a crucial edge over Leclerc. Hughes began by acknowledging that both the drivers have their own set of weaknesses but Hamilton is astute enough not to expose them.
“Leclerc has weaknesses, of course, but so does Hamilton. The difference is that Hamilton has the experience not to talk openly about it,” he said.
No matter which way this battle unfolds, F1 fans are in for a treat if Ferrari do end up producing a title-winning car. It will be a young Leclerc vying for his maiden title versus Hamilton looking for that elusive eighth. Either way, it could dictate how both their legacies are written in the history books of F1.
