Lewis Hamilton may have ‘arranged’ Ferrari contract to stop Fred Vasseur doing one thing in 2025 F1 season

Lewis Hamilton is closing in on his move to Ferrari as the 2025 Formula 1 season edges nearer.

The seven-time world champion will move to the Maranello squad in the New Year when his Mercedes contract expires. Hamilton waved farewell to the Mercedes factory earlier this month, marking the end of a record-breaking 12-year stint that saw him win six titles and become the winningest F1 driver of all time.

The world of F1 is waiting in anticipation for the 39-year-old’s first outing with the sport’s most successful team. Ferrari have scheduled Hamilton for a test at their Fiorano Circuit in January, but have alternative dates and locations in February if the test cannot go ahead due to the weather,

The occasion is sure to be an incredibly emotional moment, but Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur joked that Hamilton can only be emotional for one lap of his test before getting his head down and focusing on his 2025 preparations.

Ferrari plan to hold Hamilton’s test in secret to prevent his arrival being a ‘media circus’, as the Maranello outfit will want to be fully focused on getting the Brit accustomed to his new surroundings.

Lewis Hamilton may have ‘arranged’ his Ferrari contract to prevent team orders in 2025

Hamilton has signed a £39m-a-year contract with Ferrari that runs until the end of the 2026 season – with the team having the option to extend by a further year.

There has been much debate as to how the Brit will fare against new teammate Charles Leclerc in 2025. The Monegasque driver is well-established with the Maranello outfit and is significantly stronger than the 39-year-old in qualifying, but Ferrari are set to give their drivers ‘equal treatment’ next season.

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When it comes to one driver beating the other, it would be hard to imagine Ferrari would not prioritise that driver, but Tom Coronel thinks Hamilton may have ‘arranged’ his contract to stop Vasseur from implementing team orders with him and Leclerc.

Asked whether he thought Ferrari would have team orders in 2025, Coronel said via the RacingNews365 YouTube channel: “No, [it] is not going to happen. I am sure that Lewis, the contract is arranged in such a way that there are no team orders, so I don’t believe in that right away.

“I do think that Lewis is the type, and you’ve seen that too, ‘if you give you get. I’ll help you out once and then I’ll go back again.’

“Take a look at that very last round in Abu Dhabi, how he fought together with Russell. I do think, where has that been the whole season, that you just sprint next to him? It can’t be!”

Can Lewis Hamilton beat Charles Leclerc at Ferrari in 2025?

Vasseur has hinted that Hamilton and Leclerc will be allowed to race each other next season, but while that will be exciting for F1 fans, there are some concerns as to whether the former will be competitive with his team.

The 39-year-old faces a mammoth task going up against Leclerc as he comes into 2025 off the back of a difficult final season with Mercedes. Hamilton desperately struggled with qualifying pace and the inconsistent nature of the W15 meant top results were irregular.

While he did win his first races since 2021 at Silverstone and Spa, Hamilton finished in the lowest position of his F1 career in seventh, 22 points behind his teammate George Russell.

Christian Horner claimed Hamilton has been ‘very flat’ the last few with Mercedes as people cast doubt over whether the Brit can be a success at Ferrari or if he will follow Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso in being the next world champion to fail at the Maranello outfit.

Hamilton did display in moments in 2024 that he is still capable of fighting at the front and competing for race wins. Whether he can do that regularly at Ferrari – with new team members and an unfamiliar language to get used to – is another question.