Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will be one of the main storylines to watch out for during the 2025 Formula 1 season, as both battle it out to be the number one Ferrari driver.
It is unlikely that Ferrari will have a clear number-one driver system like they have had, given how highly rated Leclerc is within the team and the aura that Hamilton brings as a seven-time world champion.
Many are wondering how Hamilton will fare against Leclerc given the latter has been part of the Ferrari family for most of his career, having also been managed by the son of former boss of the Italian team Jean Todt.
Peter Windsor thinks Leclerc needs to control his emotions to beat Hamilton at Ferrari, knowing that he can often overdrive the car when trying to get a result on track. Leclerc has fallen victim to unforced errors during his Ferrari career and how he manages that against Hamilton will be key to his success.
Former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan has outlined how he thinks Leclerc can beat Hamilton in the early stages of the season when speaking on the Formula for Success podcast.
Eddie Jordan outlines how Charles Leclerc can beat Lewis Hamilton
Leclerc has shown that he can impress throughout one lap, but it is expected that Hamilton will best him on race pace while at Ferrari. Jordan believes the Monogasque will need to show speed early on in the season if he wants to beat Hamilton.
“Leclerc is there now [for] seven years, he knows everybody. He knows all the people and what to say, the language. He’s the darling of Maranello,” said Jordan.
“However, he will be surprised. I think he had a certain way with him over Sainz. As far as I’m concerned, I think Lewis will hit the ground running. Well, I don’t want to say hit the ground running. I think it will take him two or three races.
“I would urge Leclerc to get on his bike at the early stage [of the season] because that’s when Leclerc is going to show a certain amount of dominance.
“As the season unfolds, as the people show more and more and more love for him, particularly the Italian fraternity and the Tifosi, but also the country because this is a national team. And I really think that Lewis wants to and will embrace the love that it projects.”
One thing that will concern Lewis Hamilton after seeing what Pirelli chiefs said about Charles Leclerc
Hamilton will have the added pressure of being a world champion coming to Ferrari and trying to bring success back to the team, which has not seen a driver win a title since 2007.
Some believe Hamilton will have less pressure than Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, given he has already proved himself but now he is 40 years old there will be constant questions about his motivation if the car is not where they need it to be performance-wise.
| FERRARI 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 |
Pirelli chiefs are said to have been most impressed by Leclerc last year, following his 11-car overtake at the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The move effectively put Ferrari back in contention for the Constructors’ title, after Leclerc was given a grid penalty for taking extra power unit components. Hamilton will no doubt be wary of the comments made by Pirelli, given he has struggled with their tyres since the introduction of the 18-inch rims in 2022.
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