“Year of the GOAT?”: Damon Hill on Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari Declaration

Lewis Hamilton recently took to LinkedIn to mark the beginning of his new chapter at Ferrari in 2025. Unsurprisingly, the post garnered significant attention from his fanbase and the entire F1 community, as any update from the seven-time world champion would.

Part of Hamilton’s statement read, “I could not be more excited for the year ahead. Moving to Scuderia Ferrari, there’s a lot to reflect on.” 

Damon Hill reacted to this by putting an Instagram story about the same, hyping up the upcoming campaign by questioning whether Hamilton can win the title in 2025.

“Year of the GOAT?”, the 1996 World Champion captioned on his story.

damon hill pic.twitter.com/lb3MR1aYo3

— sim (@sim3744) January 5, 2025

Ferrari, riding high on momentum from their strong finish to the 2024 campaign—where they secured P2, just 14 points behind McLaren—could make this a reality. Hamilton stands to be a major beneficiary of the Italian team’s progress over the past season and a half.

However, if Ferrari produces a championship-worthy car, Charles Leclerc would also be a strong contender for the title. Since making his debut for the Maranello-based squad in 2019, Leclerc has been one of the top drivers in F1, and all he might need is a consistently competitive car.

As such, things won’t be easy for Hamilton, even with a strong car. His confidence seemed to wane during the closing stages of the 2024 campaign, contributing to a dip in form.

Hamilton will also face stiff competition from the McLaren drivers—Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri—who, after securing the Constructors’ title for the team, will also be aiming for the Drivers’ title. However, if anyone can pull off such a feat at the age of 40, it’s Hamilton.

Can Hamilton sustain his brilliance against Leclerc?

There has been much discussion about Leclerc potentially struggling against Hamilton’s elite caliber, with many doubting the Monegasque’s ability to hold his own.

While this prediction seems reasonable when considering their respective careers, Hamilton’s inconsistency against George Russell during his final days at Mercedes has been a concerning trend.

Russell outperformed Hamilton significantly in Grand Prix qualifying last season, with a 17-5 head-to-head record. Given that Leclerc is also one of the best qualifiers on the current grid, there is a substantial risk that Hamilton’s struggles with single-lap pace could further hinder his form at Ferrari in 2025.

While Hamilton is the statistical GOAT of F1, as Toto Wolff said, every driver has a “shelf life” and their form will start to decline at a certain stage. Even if that isn’t the case yet in Hamilton’s career, his former teammate Nico Rosberg said that he may struggle against Leclerc in his bid to win the world championship at Ferrari.