Ferrari will aim to win their first driver’s championship since 2007 and first constructors’ title since 2008 this year. The Maranello outfit have the drivers they need to do just that in Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton and Leclerc will create arguably F1’s most exciting intra-team battle of the 2025 season. The latter – who has been ingrained in the Ferrari setup since 2016 – will face off against the sport’s most successful driver.
Ferrari missed out on the constructors’ championship to McLaren in 2024. Despite Leclerc scoring the most points of any driver in the second half of the season, the Woking-based outfit won by 14 points.
| Position | Constructors’ Standings | Points |
| 1 |
McLaren Racing |
666 |
| 2 |
Scuderia Ferrari |
652 |
| 3 |
Red Bull Racing |
589 |
| 4 |
Mercedes-AMG Petronas |
468 |
| 5 |
Aston Martin F1 Team |
94 |
| 6 |
Alpine F1 Team |
65 |
| 7 |
Haas F1 Team |
58 |
| 8 |
Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team |
46 |
| 9 |
Williams F1 Team |
17 |
| 10 |
Sauber F1 Team |
4 |
Preparations are well underway at the Maranello squad to gear up for 2025. Hamilton conducted his first Ferrari test at Fiorano last month as he looks to integrate himself into the team as quickly as possible.
The seven-time champion will initially be on the backfoot given he is new to the team and has to get accustomed to the surroundings. Hamilton’s crash in Barcelona testing will have set him back slightly but the 40-year-old is arguably more motivated than ever.
F1 fans noticed Hamilton looked joyous and excited on his first visit to the Maranello factory. The Brit seems keen to get stuck in with Ferrari and put the past few years behind him.
Damon Hill thinks there is ‘going to be some fun at Ferrari’ in 2025 after seeing Lewis Hamilton-Charles Leclerc photo
Hamilton joins Ferrari off the back of a frustrating end to his incredible spell at Mercedes. Difficulties in the ground effect era meant the Brit spent the last three years driving unpredictable machinery.
Hamilton registered the lowest finish of his F1 career in 2024 with seventh in the standings. While he did manage two wins – his first since 2021 – and five podiums, he was beaten 18-6 by George Russell in qualifying and 15-9 in the races.
| Category | George Russell | Lewis Hamilton |
| 2024 points | 245 | 223 |
| Grand Prix results | 15 | 9 |
| Grand Prix qualifying | 18 | 6 |
| Grand Prix wins | 2 | 2 |
| Grand Prix poles | 4 | 0 |
| Grand Prix podiums | 4 | 5 |
| Best finish | 1st | 1st |
| Disqualifications | 1 | 0 |
| Retirements | 1 | 2 |
| Retirements (classified finish) | 1 | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 2 | 2 |
| Grand Prix points finishes | 21 | 21 |
| Sprint results | 5 | 1 |
| Sprint Qualifying | 5 | 1 |
| Sprint wins | 0 | 0 |
| Sprint poles | 0 | 0 |
| Sprint podiums | 1 | 1 |
Russell is only the third driver to beat Hamilton as his teammate and the only to do so twice, beating him in his first year with Mercedes in 2022. Things will not get any easier for the seven-time champion when he faces Leclerc.
But as aforementioned, Hamilton is incredibly motivated to right the wrongs of last year and he will have a major boost as he reunites with Fred Vasseur. The Ferrari team principal worked with the 40-year-old during his junior career, overseeing his GP2 title win in 2006.
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Hamilton has been honest with Vasseur about his qualifying struggles last year. With the Frenchman at the helm and with Hamilton and Leclerc as their drivers, Ferrari have an exciting package for 2025.
The trio appeared in a team picture recently on social media, with Hamilton and Leclerc sporting the team’s new racing overalls and Vasseur the new team kit.
And upon seeing this image, 1996 F1 champion Damon Hill took to his Instagram story to issue a prediction for the Maranello outfit as he wrote: “Going to be some Fun at Ferrari”.
Who will win the teammate battle at Ferrari in 2025?
The battle at Ferrari this season will be the most exciting and perhaps hardest to call. It would be easy to assume Leclerc will be victorious given Hamilton’s poor form in 2024.
But a fresh start in Maranello could be exactly what the 40-year-old needs to deliver. Eddie Jordan is ‘totally warm’ to Ferrari’s signing of Hamilton – a change of heart for the former team owner after seeing his iconic photo outside of Enzo Ferrari’s house.
The seven-time champion will be keen to stamp his authority and challenge for a record-eighth title. Ferrari fans are demanding Hamilton win the championship after seeing him in action at Fiorano in January.
Pressure will be huge on both Ferrari drivers to deliver results as they arguably have the best opportunity to win the title before the new set of regulations come into effect in 2026. But the most expectation could be placed on Leclerc.
Hamilton could be ‘exempt from criticism’ at Ferrari as he has already ‘written his story’ by winning seven titles while his teammate has failed to win one. Jordan has told Leclerc to ‘get on his bike’ early in the season to get the edge over his teammate.
