One of the most fascinating intra-team battles on the Formula 1 grid this season will be between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
Ferrari have managed to accrue one of the strongest line-ups in recent F1 history given Lewis Hamilton is a seven-time world champion and Charles Leclerc is arguably the best qualified in the paddock right now.
Team principal Frederic Vasseur was in contact with Hamilton for months before an agreement was reached that left Carlos Sainz looking for a new team.
Despite the Spaniard being one of the most impressive drivers in the field last season, the opportunity to hire someone with more than 100 Grand Prix victories to his name couldn’t be turned down.
However, this potentially creates a new dilemma for Vasseur, particularly if Ferrari end up with the fastest car either this season or when F1’s new regulations are introduced in 2026.
Eventually, Ferrari will need to decide whether they’re going to back Leclerc or Hamilton as their number-one driver if winning the drivers’ championship starts to become a realistic possibility.
Red Bull may not have the fastest car this year but Max Verstappen is likely to be given priority over Liam Lawson which could hand the Dutchman an advantage.
In-fighting between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri could become an issue for McLaren, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli is going to try and push George Russell from the word go.
Romain Grosjean was speaking on the F1 Nation Podcast and explained why he thinks Ferrari might initially prefer Leclerc over Hamilton at the beginning of the upcoming campaign.
Romain Grosjean thinks Charles Leclerc will be Ferrari ‘number one’ over Lewis Hamilton in 2025
Grosjean was asked about the potential dynamic between Hamilton and Leclerc and said: “My guess would be that year one, maybe Charles gets at least at the start number one treatment because he knows the car very well.
“He’s probably the one that knows the team better. But if things are going that Lewis starts being the lead driver, then they would have to choose one as well.
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“And, as we mentioned, McLaren to beat Max Verstappen and Red Bull, but now to beat McLaren as well as Ferrari, you need eventually to choose who’s going to be your lead driver and who’s going to go for the championship.”
Leclerc has to use all of his experience at Ferrari to his advantage if he’s going to beat Hamilton.
The 40-year-old will be reinvigorated compared to his previous few seasons at Mercedes and desperate to prove a point to the Tifosi who have already shown their support for him over the past few weeks.
Lewis Hamilton backed by Ferrari’s top staff to be their number-one driver over Charles Leclerc
Although F1 is designed to be a meritocracy, that’s not always how it plays out in the paddock.
The sport has a history of pay drivers being given opportunities over more talented racers in the past, although that happens less and less.
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Hamilton is more than talented enough to be Ferrari’s number-one driver, but there might be other reasons why he’s prioritised over Leclerc.
Ferrari’s top chiefs want Hamilton to be given number-one status due to the interest and fanfare it would create for the Brit to break Michael Schumacher’s record with the team.
Hamilton is set to earn Ferrari millions in sponsorship over the next two seasons and if the battle between himself and Leclerc is tight enough, he may end up getting the nod.
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