David Croft and the theory that demolishes Hamilton at Ferrari: "Leclerc will be ahead everywhere"
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Finally, we are here. After a winter break that seemed endless, the engines of the world’s fastest single-seaters are roaring back to life. After three days of testing, which concluded on Friday, February 28, the entire paddock will move to Australia. Here, on March 16, the 2025 season will begin. David Croft, a journalist for Sky Sports, has revisited one of the hottest topics of the moment: the Hamilton-Ferrari pairing. The Englishman explained why car number 44 will be constantly beaten by Charles Leclerc.
For almost a year, nothing else has been talked about. The move of the seven-time world champion to the most successful team in Formula 1 history has been, and will continue to be, the most significant sports media event in recent times. Many, even before seeing Lewis Hamilton on track, have openly criticized Fred Vasseur's choice. Many others have praised it and expressed their enthusiasm for what has happened.
One thing is certain, criticism or not. The anticipation and excitement to see the English champion at the wheel of the Maranello red car are at an all-time high. This was evident on the two occasions when Hamilton took to the track at the Fiorano circuit. A crowd like that, gathered on the famous bridge overlooking the circuit from the early hours of the morning, had not been seen in years—perhaps not since the Michael Schumacher era.
During the three days of testing that ended a few days ago, both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finally had the chance to test the new SF-25 for twelve hours each. The car proved to be a bit nervous, especially on the first day, forcing the multiple world champion to make several corrections. The handling situation then improved significantly in the following sessions.
However, the data emerging from testing should be taken with caution. No one, except the teams, knows the fuel loads they were running with. No one knows the engine mappings or the different work programs followed by the teams. It takes very little to completely change the behavior of the car. The verdict, therefore, is postponed until the Australian GP.
Despite all this, David Croft, commentator for Sky Sports UK, had a conversation with Natalie Pinkham about the two Ferrari drivers. The pit lane reporter said: “Leclerc is a driver completely integrated within the team. He has shown to be very fast in the race and is no less impressive in qualifying, where Lewis struggled last year.”
“I have a theory that Charles will win every battle, both in qualifying and in the race, against the seven-time world champion,” said Croft. “Lewis is no rookie, but in recent years at Mercedes, he has lost motivation. He lost it precisely when he didn't get that multi-year contract with the British team.”
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