After a long break, F1 is finally back with pre-season testing currently underway in Bahrain. As all the drivers prepare for the 2025 season, one of the major storylines that fans will track is the intra-team rivalry at Ferrari.
With seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton partnering with eight-time Grand Prix winner Charles Leclerc, the Prancing Horse have the best driver line-up on the grid, on paper at least.
But with Hamilton’s form seemingly having deteriorated over the past few seasons at Mercedes, some experts have even raised concerns about whether Ferrari made the right choice by signing him. Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan labeled Ferrari’s decision to replace Hamilton with Carlos Sainz as suicidal last year.
The Irish businessman believes there is no certainty that Hamilton will match Sainz, who he believes was doing a fine job. Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner also seems to have doubts about whether Hamilton will be able to match Leclerc.
Charles Leclerc. Lewis Hamilton. Together in front of the world as Ferrari team mates #F175LIVE @ScuderiaFerrari pic.twitter.com/sZggxDsxpJ
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 18, 2025
“Lewis is getting older; even if he gets rejuvenated, you’re not getting younger,” Steiner said on the Nailing the Apex podcast when asked how he feels the intra-team rivalry between Leclerc and Hamilton will pan out. The Italian-American made a reference to Hamilton’s recent remarks when the Briton claimed he felt rejuvenated after joining Ferrari.
However, unlike Jordan, Steiner did admit that if Hamilton uses his strength and his years of experience, he could form another successful partnership with Ferrari.
Moreover, Hamilton’s presence will also come in handy for Leclerc. He is not only motivated to beat the seven-time champion but also learn from him.
Leclerc looking forward to learning from the “best ever“
Most F1 fans may have believed that Leclerc would not have been pleased to hear about Hamilton’s arrival this year, having been Ferrari’s main man for the past several seasons. However, the Monegasque is looking forward to the challenge and is eager to learn from the “best ever“.
“I am not worried about Hamilton’s arrival. I see it much more as an opportunity,” the 27-year-old said in an interview with Reppublica last year. “Lewis is the most successful, for me it is not only an opportunity to learn from one of the best ever but also to compete with him in the same car“.
Charles leclerc about lewis hamilton
“the most successful driver in f1 history”
” the best ever he can’t wait to learn from”
mad respect between the two wishing them the best ❤️pic.twitter.com/pVW2MDJrVk— (@versacerrari) June 21, 2024
Former Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer too believes that the entire Ferrari team should look forward to learning from Hamilton. “You gotta learn from Lewis,” Szafnauer stated on The Race’s ‘Team Principal’ podcast.
While it remains to be seen whether Hamilton has still got it to deliver results on the track, the one thing that most experts seem to have a consensus on is that if Ferrari want to achieve their goal of winning the championships, they need to take his advice, even if it means they needing to change some of the ways of their operation.
