Ferrari have assembled a superstar lineup for the 2025 season with Lewis Hamilton joining their ranks alongside Charles Leclerc. On paper, this duo seems the strongest of the current grid and could run away with this year’s championship.
But the way Hamilton has struggled of late, especially on single-lap pace, his chances of getting the better of Leclerc aren’t great. While Ferrari will hope that the seven-time world champion rediscovers his mojo, there is uncertainty about how he will fare against Leclerc, who had a stellar season last year with three victories.
Moreover, Hamilton also fell behind his former teammate George Russell, who comfortably had the upper hand over him, particularly in qualifying. After all, a 19-5 head-to-head record against a superb qualifier like Hamilton speaks volumes about Russell’s brilliance as well as the 40-year-old’s supposed decline in ability.
Many fear that Leclerc could emulate what Russell has done in recent years as Hamilton’s teammate. Veteran F1 journalist James Allen is also of the same opinion that the Monegasque driver isn’t letting the former Mercedes man breathe easy.
“He is gonna need to be at the top of his game. Because he is up against, in the same car, Charles Leclerc,” Allen told talkSPORT. While Allen acknowledged that Leclerc has had ups and downs in his F1 career so far, he also believes the 27-year-old is “unbelievably fast, particularly in qualifying”.
Former F1 driver Lucas di Grassi doesn’t agree with Ferrari’s decision to bring in Lewis Hamilton ️ pic.twitter.com/OqoMp30Vrm
— Autosport (@autosport) December 13, 2024
Per Allen, Hamilton could also struggle to beat Leclerc in qualifying, continuing his poor form over a single lap.
“It’s a huge challenge for Lewis to be trying to beat a guy in his peak years when Lewis is in his 40s,” Allen added.
While Allen does believe that the Briton still has the edge to beat the #16 driver over a Grand Prix distance of 190 miles, the qualifying tussle between the Ferrari duo will be interesting to watch and could prove to be the difference in this intra-team battle.
How can Hamilton establish his authority at Ferrari?
Leclerc certainly has the advantage of incumbency at Ferrari, having raced with them for six years. Despite being a seasoned campaigner and a multiple-time world champion, Hamilton will have to adapt to the Scuderia’s work ethic, culture, and car traits — something the Monegasque is already well-versed with.
IT’S ALL NEW AGAIN
With Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari this year, the British driver is having to learn plenty as he gets up to speed with the workings of Ferrari. He tested at Fiorano yesterday and then headed out to see the fans assembled on and below the bridge at the far… pic.twitter.com/z0L2RU8r9B
— Kym Illman (@KymIllman) February 20, 2025
Many have stated how the seven-time world champion could take this time to learn about Ferrari’s culture, which is vastly different from the UK-based teams like Mercedes and McLaren, where Hamilton has raced for his entire career.
The Race F1 journalist Mark Hughes feels that Hamilton may have to take a page out of Michael Schumacher’s book to settle in at Ferrari. Hughes recalled how Schumacher’s return to F1 with Mercedes panned out as the German legend was accustomed to Ferrari’s way of working during his peak years.
“It took him over a year at Mercedes to get fully familiar with what levers to pull to get what he needed,” Hughes quoted Schumacher’s account of his move to Mercedes in 2010. While Hamilton’s switch is the other way around, the approach of taking a year to settle could work wonders for him.
That said, it could mean that the 40-year-old may have to accept that he won’t win the championship in his first year with the Prancing Horse. But could Hamilton live with that to focus on the bigger picture and set himself up for a mega comeback in 2026? Only time will tell.
