Just over a week ago, Ferrari confirmed that Charles Leclerc would remain with the team for “several more seasons” when his current contract expires at the end of this season.
Having raced for the Scuderia from his second year in the sport, Leclerc has chosen to stay with his team to try and become the first Ferrari world champion since Kimi Raikkonen, all the way back in 2007.
Last weekend, RaceFans readers were asked whether you believed Leclerc will one day win the Formula 1 world championship in a Ferrari. Almost two-thirds of you said ‘no’, you do not feel that Leclerc will win a title while driving for Ferrari.
Since then, it’s fair to say that the dynamic of Ferrari’s future has changed rather dramatically. On Thursday, Mercedes announced that Lewis Hamilton would leave the team at the end of this year after 12 seasons and six championships with them. Then, Ferrari confirmed that Hamilton would indeed be joining them for the start of the 2025 season on a multi-year contract.
As Hamilton’s first race in the scarlet colours of Ferrari will be after he has turned 40 years old, it seems likely this could be the start of the final chapter in his historic career. But as he hunts for another world championship title to separate himself from Michael Schumacher and stand alone, the question must now be asked; will he be able to win the title in a Ferrari?
For
Although Mercedes have struggled to keep up with rivals Red Bull or even Ferrari in recent seasons, Hamilton’s performance in 2023 – in which he finished third in the championship – proved that he remains just as capable of competing for the ultimate prize as ever.
As Fernando Alonso has shown, truly great drivers can continue to perform at an extremely high level even into their early forties. There is no reason to expect that Hamilton, with his record of success, will not be able to continue at that level over the coming years.
The only question is if Ferrari are capable of providing him with a car capable of doing so. Leclerc and Hamilton both clearly buy into team principal Frederic Vasseur’s vision for the future of the team. Hamilton famously made a bold decision to move teams from McLaren to Mercedes which paid off handsomely. With Ferrari continue to rebuild, perhaps he knows this is his best chance of getting a championship-worthy car before he retires?
Against
As much success as Hamilton has enjoyed in his career, it’s fair to point out how he is currently suffering a win…
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