Charles Leclerc faces one of his hardest challenges in F1 after Lewis Hamilton joined him at Ferrari and will not like Red Bull boss Christian Horner’s advice for the Briton.
The Monegasque is part of the furniture at Ferrari having risen through their driver academy to race for the pride of Italy. Leclerc joined the FDA in March 2016 ahead of his title-winning rookie GP3 season, and his rapid progression resulted in driving for the Scuderia since 2019.
A four-time world champion met Leclerc at Maranello as he partnered with Sebastian Vettel for just his second F1 season. Yet the 27-year-old quickly overcame the German, who Carlos Sainz replaced in 2020. But Leclerc now faces a seven-time champion at Ferrari in Hamilton.
Christian Horner thinks Lewis Hamilton must ‘build the team around him’ at Ferrari
Hamilton broke out of his contract with Mercedes to join Ferrari, signing a multi-year deal in February 2024 to move to Maranello this season. The Scuderia mark the third squad the 40-year-old has driven for after debuting for McLaren in 2007, before joining Mercedes in 2013.
Moving to Maranello now means Hamilton must learn a new engine, too, having only raced Mercedes power units so far. But Red Bull team principal Horner is convinced that Hamilton can fight for the Formula 1 drivers’ championship in 2025 if he can build Ferrari around him.
READ MORE: Seven best drives of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes career before Ferrari move
| FERRARI F1 DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONS | YEAR |
| Alberto Ascari | 1952 |
| Alberto Ascari | 1953 |
| Juan-Manuel Fangio | 1956 |
| Mike Hawthorn | 1958 |
| Phil Hill | 1961 |
| John Surtees | 1964 |
| Niki Lauda | 1975 |
| Niki Lauda | 1977 |
| Jody Scheckter | 1979 |
| Michael Schumacher | 2000 |
| Michael Schumacher | 2001 |
| Michael Schumacher | 2002 |
| Michael Schumacher | 2003 |
| Michael Schumacher | 2004 |
| Kimi Raikkonen | 2007 |
Horner feels Hamilton needs to get Ferrari on his side early on and start the 2025 Formula 1 season strongly. Otherwise, the Stevenage-born star will find life in red very challenging and the energy Ferrari’s fans have shown Hamilton through his tests at Fiorano might disappear.
“They will love him if he is fast and delivers, and he will live off that energy,” Horner said, via quotes by Motorsport-Total. “But if he doesn’t get off to a good start, it will be difficult.
“I think a lot really depends on how [Hamilton] starts with the team in the early stages of the season. If he gets off to a good start and builds the team around him, then he will find his confidence and then he could definitely become a real world championship contender.”
Charles Leclerc will not like Christian Horner’s Ferrari advice for Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton is approaching two months as a Ferrari driver after starting his Scuderia chapter in January. Moving to Maranello marked a big step for the Briton in his bid to become the first eight-time drivers’ champion having seen a record-breaking title escape to Red Bull in 2021.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory
Max Verstappen pipped Hamilton at the post in 2021 to see Red Bull, again, deny the Briton after Vettel won four titles in a row with them from 2010-13. So, while Hamilton says ‘I still pinch myself’ at Ferrari, Horner knows first-hand what the Briton can do with a winning car.
But Leclerc will not like Horner’s suggestion that Hamilton needs to build Ferrari around the Briton to be successful. The Scuderia are very much the Monegasque’s family and where he sees the 27-year-old’s future as Leclerc signed a £25m-per-year contract to 2029 last year.
Hamilton is only under contract for Ferrari through 2026, with the option to stay in 2027. So, if the 105-time Grand Prix winner can turn Ferrari into Hamilton’s team rather than Leclerc’s, the eight-time F1 race winner may question how committed the Scuderia are to his success.
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