Lewis Hamilton has shocked F1 fans around the world by deciding to move to Ferrari in 2025. A move of this magnitude is having a cascading effect on everyone in the F1 paddock, not just Mercedes and Ferrari. The most affected person is arguably Carlos Sainz, who will vacate his seat for the Briton at the end of this year. However, the Spaniard is not a driver to feel intimidated. F1 expert Simon Lazenby also suggested the same while recently appearing on the Sky Sports F1 podcast. The presenter cited how Sainz could use the bait of Hamilton’s arrival to outshine Charles Leclerc in 2024.
Speaking on the podcast, Lazenby said, “Can Carlos actually flip the situation on its head? Put pressure early on Charles Leclerc and outshine him and put himself in that shop window for others.”
Given the 29-year-old is a free agent with no confirmed seat for 2025, there is no scope for him to slip up this year. Any bad performances may negatively affect his chances of getting a good deal at any of his desired teams.
There have been strong rumors about the Spaniard going to Audi (currently Sauber), owing to his father’s connections. However, in 2023, Sainz shut down these rumors by pledging loyalty to Ferrari. Now, given that is all washed away, Audi may be his eventual destination after all. However, nothing is confirmed yet.
For now, the #55 driver has to focus on his 2024 season with Ferrari. Performing at par with Leclerc again and beating him will only help the Spaniard boost his options.
Charles Leclerc will face massive pressure from Lewis Hamilton
After half a decade of being Ferrari’s golden boy, Charles Leclerc will undoubtedly be under pressure since facing a driver of Lewis Hamilton‘s caliber will be a massive challenge for him. The Monegasque will need to step up his game if he hopes to match and beat the seven-time champion in 2025.
On paper, the pairing of Leclerc and Hamilton is something every team would only dream of. Given a fast competitive car, this duo could be unstoppable, provided they don’t step on each other’s toes. Ferrari will hope and count on that, given their desperation to win championships amid a 17-year hiatus.
However, for Leclerc, it is a difficult task as he has not been the flawless driver fans would have hoped he would become by now. Unlike Max Verstappen, the 26-year-old Monegasque is yet to win a championship and has not even got to double digits on his race wins tally.
To top that, Leclerc is often prone to crashes and errors that cost him some good results. With Hamilton coming, this will need to stop. The #16 driver will have to be flawless in terms of mistakes and be at his level best consistently. There are many ifs and buts on this entire prospect of Ferrari’s 2025 driver lineup.
However, for now, Hamilton is focusing on his final season with Mercedes to have the perfect farewell. Meanwhile, Ferrari is building the foundations for next year with their 2024 car. So far, their overhaul of the car concept is looking good, but they have to take some risks to get back into a winning position.
