Heading into the 2025 Components 1 season, Ferrari’s workforce principal, Frederic Vasseur, is more likely to really feel a way of confidence, figuring out that he has secured what might very properly be the strongest driver pairing on the grid.
With Lewis Hamilton boasting extra world championships than every other driver within the paddock mixed, and Charles Leclerc persevering with to claim that he’s the quickest driver at present in Components 1 regardless of missing a title, Ferrari’s problem can be to handle the dynamics between these two distinctive abilities, particularly if they’ve a automobile that may compete on the highest stage.
Ferrari completed second within the Constructors’ Championship in 2024, and it wouldn’t take a lot enchancment for the Scuderia to surpass McLaren, notably contemplating the best way Fred Vasseur’s workforce concluded the earlier season.
One space of focus for Ferrari heading into 2025 is a long-standing concern they’ve recognized, which they plan to resolve. This enchancment is predicted to profit each Hamilton and Leclerc, enhancing their efficiency as they intention to push for a title.
A key side to look at this season will undoubtedly be the connection between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc as teammates. The dynamic between the Monegasque driver and his former teammate, Carlos Sainz, was notably shut throughout Carlos Sainz’s four-year tenure at Ferrari, although they have been by no means direct championship rivals. In distinction, the depth between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton could possibly be a lot better, notably if they’re persistently battling for race victories.
Nevertheless, Lewis Hamilton’s feedback about Charles Leclerc through the 2019 season provide some intriguing perception, suggesting {that a} sturdy basis of mutual respect exists between the 2 Ferrari drivers. These remarks have turn out to be much more important now that they are going to be teammates, and the interaction between them within the upcoming season could possibly be one of the crucial compelling storylines to observe.
Charles Leclerc’s spectacular performances throughout his debut season with Sauber in 2018 earned him a promotion to Ferrari for the 2019 season. That yr, he shortly made his mark, securing 5 podium finishes earlier than clinching his first-ever Components 1 victory on the Belgian Grand Prix.
After the race, the British driver remarked that Charles Leclerc had been unfortunate in a number of races that season, noting that it might simply have been his third win of the yr, following near-misses in Bahrain and Austria. Hamilton expressed confidence that there was rather more greatness to return from the Ferrari man, including that he seemed ahead to seeing his growth and racing alongside him. He additionally talked about how pleasant it had been to chase the Monegasque through the race, though he admitted that Charles Leclerc had been just a bit too fast.
On the time, Mattia Binotto, Ferrari’s workforce principal and now Audi’s head of Components 1, remarked that Leclerc had pushed exceptionally properly all through the weekend, pushing laborious from the beginning of the race to the end. He acknowledged that it was essential for Leclerc to win in honor of Anthoine Hubert and that his dedication was clear. Binotto famous that whereas there had been missed alternatives earlier within the season, profitable at Spa was important, marking Leclerc’s first victory, and hinted it wouldn’t be the final. He additionally highlighted the particular second of listening to the Monaco nationwide anthem.
Ferrari is already placing measures in place for Lewis Hamilton’s preliminary Components 1 exams, however the heightened consideration from followers, particularly across the workforce’s Fiorano take a look at observe, makes maintaining these plans below wraps tough. Hamilton is about to start out his work in Ferrari’s simulator, adhering to the principles which restrict him to 1000 km of driving earlier than official F1 testing begins. This locations him at an obstacle in comparison with Charles Leclerc, who, though unfamiliar with the 2025 automobile, has a greater understanding of Ferrari’s operations and workforce dynamics.
The British driver will probably take part in three exams earlier than the official Bahrain session, the place he’ll spend 1.5 days working alongside the remainder of the grid. Ferrari’s purpose is to collect in depth suggestions from each drivers, with hopes of taking that vital subsequent step towards securing their first title since 2008. The inner competitors between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc is sure to be fierce, with Leclerc already having overcome an F1 champion previously. If he can accomplish that once more, he could cement his place among the many sport’s elite.