Lewis Hamilton has to recapture his qualifying mojo if he is to match Charles Leclerc during the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Hamilton and Ferrari: an iconic partnership has been formed and it goes without saying that the Scuderia has the strongest lineup on the F1 grid.
A seven-time champion up against champion-in-waiting Leclerc is a fearful combination, especially since Ferrari had one of its strongest seasons in recent memory last year.
Ferrari started the season with promise, securing victories in Australia and Monaco thanks to Carlos Sainz and Leclerc, but a mid-season upgrade introduced in Spain put the Italian giants on the back foot.
After agonising months fixing its issues, Ferrari emerged on the other side as a genuine contender for the Constructors’ title with Leclerc adding to his win tally at Monza and the Circuit of the Americas and Sainz achieving one last win for the Scuderia in Mexico.
A narrow loss of 14 points to McLaren in the final Constructors’ standings shows Ferrari is on the eve of ending its title drought.
As Ferrari prepares to mount a title challenge, what should its blockbuster driver pairing expect to achieve in 2025?
Lewis Hamilton
The moment has finally arrived: Hamilton is a Ferrari driver.
After a rollercoaster final year with Mercedes that saw highs in GP wins and lows in a dramatic downturn in qualifying performances, a lot is riding on Hamilton’s shoulders in 2025.
The Briton must adapt quickly to his new environment and rediscover his qualifying mojo in order to meet team-mate Leclerc’s challenge and win over the passionate Tifosi.
After visiting Maranello for the first time and conducting his first laps in a Ferrari F1 car at the Fiorano test circuit, Hamilton said: “I’ve been lucky enough to have many firsts in my career, from the first test to the first race, podium, win and championship, so I wasn’t sure how many more firsts I had left but driving a Scuderia Ferrari HP car for the first time this morning, was one of the best feelings of my life.
“When I started the car up and drove through that garage door, I had the biggest smile on my face,” he added.
“It reminded me of the very first time I tested a Formula 1 car, it was such an exciting and special moment, and here I am, almost twenty years later, feeling those emotions all over again.
“I already knew from the outside how passionate the Ferrari family is, from everyone in the team to the Tifosi!
“But to now witness it firsthand as a Ferrari driver has been awe-inspiring.
“That passion runs through their veins and you can’t help but be energised by it.
“I’m so grateful for the love I have felt from everyone in Maranello this week, we have a lot of work to do but I can’t wait to get started.”
Charles Leclerc
Leclerc had arguably his greatest season to date in 2024.
Three GP wins, one at his home race in Monaco at long last, another in front of the adoring Tifosi at Monza and leading a one-two in the United States all exemplified Leclerc’s F1 maturity.
If Ferrari can provide him with the tools to do so, Leclerc must fight for a maiden Drivers’ title while simultaneously preventing Hamilton from claiming a record eighth.
“I feel like I’m ready for the championship,” Leclerc told RacingNews365.
“We just need a car that, throughout the season, is capable of doing that.
“I’m fully confident that the next team to be able to do that and to beat Red Bull, especially, for the championship will be us.”
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