In 2025, Ferrari will see an iconic driver lineup in the form of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Both drivers are highly competitive and don’t leave an inch for any competitor including their teammate. Keeping this mind, F1 journalist Will Buxton has an idea of how to handle the team hierarchy at Ferrari next year.
Speaking on the Red Flags Podcast, Buxton claimed that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has two options to choose from. He could either opt for equality and give both drivers the same opportunities. As for upgrades, each driver could alternate and maintain equality or wait for enough parts for both of them to get the upgrade together.
Meanwhile, the second one, which Buxton is in favor of, is seeing Hamilton take the lead driver driver role in Ferrari. “The alternative is that you say to Charles (Leclerc, ed.): he is a seven-time world champion, and he is coming to the team as the first driver. You have to live with that and use the opportunity to learn from him.”
Buxton further highlighted the relationship that Hamilton and Fred Vasseur share. It will allow the latter to drop the hammer on Leclerc, given Hamilton won’t be with the team for very long either way. Maintaining peace between two top drivers in a title-challenging team is no easy task. There is always a chance the drivers will get in each other’s way. Hamilton has experience of this, given he fought with Fernando Alonso, allowing Kimi Raikkonen to pip them both in the world championship in 2007.
Lewis Hamilton won’t have Michael Schumacher-like experience
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicalli believes Hamilton’s Ferrari move will hardly be reminiscent of the time Michael Schumacher was dominating F1 with the Maranello-based outfit. With Leclerc already a household name among Ferrari fans, Domenicalli claimed the Monegasque driver will never accept the role of a secondary driver. He added that Schumacher had absolute dominance, with Eddie Irvine being a clear second choice. However, it might not be the same for Hamilton and Leclerc.
There is no doubt that Hamilton is moving to Ferrari in hopes of winning an eighth championship. He doesn’t just want to drive off into the sunset with an iconic team via the move. Meanwhile, touted to be Ferrari’s next champion, Leclerc is yet to deliver on the expectations of the Tifosi.
Given his experience, Hamilton could be the lead driver in Ferrari. Leclerc still needs time to fine-tune the smaller details of the sport. However, after years of being the supposed ‘lead’ driver at Ferrari, Leclerc might not be too happy with the move.
