Lewis Hamilton told it will be ‘the end’ if Mercedes problem follows him to Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton made the most anticipated driver transfer in F1 history official in 2025 by switching Mercedes for Ferrari.

The seven-time champion has begun life with the Maranello outfit this week, visiting the team’s factory and completing his first test in Ferrari red on Wednesday at the Fiorano Circuit.

Thousands of Ferrari fans flocked to the track in the early morning to witness the historic moment. They would not be disappointed either, as Hamilton impressed Ferrari with his car control in the ‘zero-grip’ conditions.

The weather put a slight dampener on Charles Leclerc’s day, who ran alongside the Brit in his first test. Hamilton was six seconds quicker than Leclerc as the Monagasque driver could not get a run in the dry as his teammate did.

Regardless of the timings, the test would have been good preparation for the Ferrari drivers ahead of the 2025 season. Both Hamilton and Leclerc will be eyeing the world championship – especially the latter, who is in search of his record-eighth title.

The 40-year-old could be dealt a huge boost for those aspirations, as Martin Brundle says ‘the feeling’ is Ferrari have improved more than McLaren over the winter. The Maranello outfit lost out to their rivals in the Constructors’ Championship in 2024 by 14 points and will be looking to go one better this year.

Mike Hezemans says it will be ‘the end’ of Lewis Hamilton if Charles Leclerc drives him around at Ferrari

But heading into 2025, there are some concerns surrounding Hamilton and whether he can perform with Ferrari after suffering a frustrating final season with Mercedes.

While Hamilton did prove he can still produce some magic moments, the Brit finished seventh in the Drivers’ Championship – the lowest finish of his career to date.

Hamilton could not get his W15 in the right performance window consistently, particularly in qualifying where he was eliminated before Q3 six times. Teammate George Russell beat him 18-6 on Saturdays and 15-9 in the races.

Such a comprehensive defeat has led many to question whether the seven-time champion can compete at Ferrari. Tom Coronel has told Hamilton to ‘disappear’ if he cannot win the title with the Maranello outfit.

Dutch driver Mike Hezemans said at the time Hamiton joined Ferrari that it would be ‘very good’ for both parties. Now, speaking on the RacingNews365 YouTube channel, he still holds that opinion but thinks it may be ‘the end’ if the Brit is ‘driven around’ by Leclerc.

“Well, I actually still think the same to be honest because Lewis Hamilton was driven around the ears to be honest by Russell,” he said.

“So staying at Mercedes does not really help. So to Ferrari, he still brings him[self] really very quickly in the races.

“Only his qualifying, that just did not work. It could well be that Ferrari [goes] better, that qualifying goes better. If he gets driven around again by Charles Leclerc then he has a problem.

“Then I think it is a bit of the end of Hamilton”.

Can Lewis Hamilton beat Charles Leclerc at Ferrari?

Initially, Hamilton will be on the back foot compared to his teammate. Leclerc has been engrained in Ferrari since his academy days in 2016 and knows the setup well.

Leclerc is one of the best qualifiers in F1 and will prove a tough challenge for Hamilton in 2025 and beyond, especially considering his woes on Saturday with Mercedes last year.

That is why the 40-year-old is looking to get integrated with Ferrari as quickly as possible to put him in the best position to fight at the front from the first race of the season in Australia.

Hamilton and Leclerc will be one of the closest intra-team battles in 2025 and both will be looking to get the better of each other to give Ferrari their first drivers’ championship since 2007.

The pressure is already on the former as Ferrari fans have demanded the championship from Hamilton. If he can get up to speed and the team provides him with a competitive car, the 40-year-old could make history in red.