How Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s partnership at Ferrari will fare has been a subject of intrigue since the move was first announced a year ago. A seven-time world champion against a talent tipped to be made of the same mettle — choosing who would have the upper hand is difficult indeed. But not to everyone.
Juan Pablo Montoya is certain the answer is Hamilton, but not right away. “Lewis is mature enough to appreciate that in the short-term he is going to struggle a little bit, learning the Ferrari thing,” the Colombian former driver said per GrandPrix247.
Montoya continued that Leclerc would feel superior to Hamilton at this stage. But around the midway point of the 2025 season, things would start turning around. “Give it about six or seven races, and if the car is competitive, Lewis is going to win everything,” he continued.
Hamilton would be hoping that is the case, not just because he wants to get the better of his new teammate, but because the reason he moved to Ferrari revolved largely around his chances at winning his eighth world championship.
| Juan Pablo Montoya : “If the car is competitive, Lewis is going to win everything”.
Montoya on how Sir Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will match up against each other :
“Lewis is mature enough to appreciate that in the short-term he is going to struggle a little bit,… pic.twitter.com/aSQoT6jebL
— sim (@sim3744) December 13, 2024
For Leclerc, this would be a challenge unlike anything he has faced in his career. Of course, Sebastian Vettel and Carlos Sainz were worthy teammates, but Hamilton would be a different ball game altogether.
However, Hamilton’s qualifying pace, normally regarded the best in F1, looked shaky in 2024 with teammate George Russell outperforming him on that front. Leclerc is also a top-notch qualifier, which is why Hamilton would be looking to improve, to make Montoya’s prediction come true.
What to expect from Hamilton
Although Hamilton has been uncharacteristically slow in qualifying, he has made up for it in race pace. For instance, in the final outing of 2024 in Abu Dhabi, the 39-year-old started from P16 but ended the race in P4 in what turned out to be a memorable Mercedes finale for him.
But things will be different in 2025. He can’t go down the same road because Mercedes was not contending for the title, something Ferrari is expected to do next season. If Hamilton keeps qualifying down the order, making up places could be difficult, especially if the grid turns out to be competitive.
For Ferrari to deem his move successful, the #44 driver needs to perform on all fronts. And for that, the Maranello-based outfit would be looking to give him a strong consistent car, something he seldom found in his last few years at Mercedes.
