Lewis Hamilton will be concerned when he hears what Pirelli chief has said about Charles Leclerc

Lewis Hamilton faces a tough challenge against Charles Leclerc at Ferrari for the 2025 season, as he attempts to win his eighth world title.

The 40-year-old has commenced what is likely to be the final chapter in his F1 career with Ferrari, having previously only raced under the Mercedes-Benz umbrella at McLaren and their works team.

Ferrari has not won a Drivers’ title since 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen, despite having both Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel driving for them in the interim years. Hamilton is expected to have less pressure than Alonso and Vettel, but there is still the grandeur of racing for Ferrari that will add to the nerves.

Around 3,000 fans flocked to Maranello to watch Hamilton participate in his first test with the team, with Hamilton also having completed around 30 laps in the tricky foggy and cold conditions without any issues.

The question of how well Hamiton will fare against Leclerc is on everyone’s mind, with Peter Windsor expecting the Monogasque to outperform the seven-time world champion. Speaking to F1Maximaal.nl, head of motorsport Mario Isola has recently said something that could concern Hamilton heading into the new season.

Pirelli chief impressed by Charles Leclerc in 2024

Leclerc is expected to be the quicker driver in qualifying at Ferrari this year, which will put him in prime position to outrace Hamilton depending on where their car is in the competitive pecking order.

The Monogasque impressed Pirelli chiefs last year with his drive in Abu Dhabi, where Leclerc was hailed for completing an ‘epic’ opening lap in which he overtook 11 cars.

“It’s a mix of elements. In different races we see different reactions. Max was mentioned, but we also have other examples, such as Leclerc in Abu Dhabi,” Isola points out.

“That means it is possible to make up for positions if you do your job the right way.”

Lewis Hamilton now blocked from completing any more Ferrari tests until pre-season testing

Hamilton has been hard at work since the middle of January out on track with Ferrari to acclimatise himself with the team, completing tests at Maranello and Barcelona.

His first test at Barcelona was curtailed when he crashed the SF-23 and although Hamilton emerged unscathed, Ferrari believe the crash could have been down to a bump in the circuit.

The team recently completed tyre tests for 2026 with Pirelli. Ferrari used an ‘unprecedented’ car set-up using 2026 downforce levels to test the effectiveness of the new tyres.

Having now completed 1,000km of testing in old machinery across a period of four days, Hamilton is now blocked from completing any further running under the Testing of Previous Cars rules during 2025.