How Lewis Hamilton could be ‘exempt from criticism’ at Ferrari over Charles Leclerc in 2025

Lewis Hamilton will be looking to make his historic stint at Ferrari a successful one – but he will have a huge challenge going up against Charles Leclerc.

The seven-time champion is walking into unknown territory in 2025. While Hamilton looks joyous and excited about his Ferrari move – which he has had to wait almost a year to make official – he has to get accustomed to a new team.

Meanwhile, Leclerc has been well-established at Ferrari since his academy days in 2016. The Monagasque driver has raced with the Maranello outfit since 2019 and has beaten a multiple world champion in the past in Sebastian Vettel.

With pre-season testing well underway, Hamilton is looking to address Leclerc’s experience ‘advantage’ over him. The 40-year-old hopes to compete at the front in 2025 after his lowest finish in a championship last year.

Hamilton outpaced Leclerc on Tuesday morning in Ferrari’s tyre test for Pirelli on 2026 rubber in Barcelona – McLaren were also there running a separate programme for their drivers. Leclerc was faster than Hamilton in the second outing, but lap times mean very little at this stage.

However, the pressure will already be on the two Ferrari drivers to deliver results having not won the drivers’ championship since 2007. But Hamilton may find himself more relaxed than Leclerc for one key reason.

Lewis Hamilton’s seven world championships could make him ‘exempt from criticism’ at Ferrari

Hamilton comes to Ferrari as F1’s most successful driver. The Brit has the most wins, pole positions, podiums and equal most championships in the sport’s history with Michael Schumacher.

In his six seasons with Ferrari, Leclerc has finished in the top three twice – finishing runner-up to Max Verstappen in 2022 and behind the Dutchman and Lando Norris in third in 2024.

According to Riccardo Ceccarelli, this may make Hamilton ‘exempt from criticism’ as he has already ‘wrote the history of motoring. Whereas Leclerc may be judged for not seeing title success yet.

“It’s different compared to how Hamilton arrives at Ferrari because there are two factors on his side that play to his advantage”, he said via the Motorsport.com Italia YouTube channel.

“[He is] one who has seven world titles so more than the sum of the other two [Vettel and Alonso] so it’s difficult to question a career like Hamilton’s.

“This makes him a bit exempt from criticism. The concept: ‘You criticise me, do what I did. So, you come and win seven world titles’.

“This gives you strength because you have written the story, you wrote the history of motoring so you can’t be criticised, while Leclerc hasn’t won a world championship yet.

“He has won races but he hasn’t won the world championship yet so Leclerc can be subjected to the judgment of the people who call him the predestined, who says that they invested in the driver who wasn’t the winning driver”.

Ferrari are taking a ‘calculated risk’ with Lewis Hamilton’s car in 2025

The 2025 season marks the final year of the current regulations before the revolutionary changes of 2026. This may present Ferrari and Hamilton’s best chance to win the title this year.

The Maranello outfit lost out to McLaren in the constructors’ championship by just 14 points, taking the fight to the final race in Abu Dhabi.

Ferrari showed promise with their package come the end of 2024 and will hope to carry that momentum into 2025. But the team want to get the edge over their rivals in performance.

That is why Ferrari are looking to revolutionise certain parts of the car, including taking the ‘calculated risk’ of changing the suspension. This may seem a bold call, but it may already be paying off.

Martin Brundle says the feeling is Ferrari have progressed more than McLaren over the winter. If they can translate their findings into outright pace on the track, Hamilton could have a great opportunity to grab the eight title he has been craving.