Ferrari: 2025 line-up is by far the best, but managing drivers will be challenging
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Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari, a stellar marriage. A collective exaltation without precedent in the past, fueled by the allure of the partnership between the most successful driver and the most victorious team in the premier class of motorsport. The meticulous social media communication from both parties is cleverly leveraging what will undoubtedly be a marketing success, regardless of on-track results. Let's not beat around the bush: for a large part of the fans of the red team and the British driver, 2025 must be the year of the sporting revival of the Englishman combined with the success of the historic Italian team.
As always, the quality of the 677 technical project will be a necessary condition to aim for certain achievements, along with many other equally important factors. The public and media reception reserved for Lewis Hamilton is comparable to that of a sporting messiah. Someone entrusted with a mission that illustrious colleagues have failed to accomplish. Here, the uniqueness of the Prancing Horse compared to other Formula 1 teams comes into play. The Maranello team carries the weight of its legendary history and the expectations of a nation that identifies with it.
Those working within the team live with this responsibility daily, despite Ferrari's top management consistently denying the influence of such pressure. Who knows why, really. A lie with very short legs, as confirmed by those who have worked within the Maranello team during years of defeats and successes around the turn of the millennium. At this point, the question arises spontaneously: is the red team truly ready to welcome the living legend of Formula 1? We are talking about aspects that have nothing to do with the technical sphere.
Scuderia Ferrari has not signed a multiple world champion since Sebastian Vettel, who joined a team where the roles between the two drivers were implicitly defined. Equal opportunities have only worked when there was not the technical means to compete for world titles. For this reason, the collaboration between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz has experienced moments of friction only when the car has been competitive. With Lewis Hamilton, will the situation be similar? Or in this case, will greater deference to the multiple champion be evident?
The red team's line-up is, at least on paper, the best by far. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton evoke opposite but equally powerful feelings. The Monegasque represents pure emotion, the kind of passion that ties Ferrari fans to drivers capable of giving their all, regardless of the car’s competitiveness. It’s about a love not necessarily tied to on-track success. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton is a giant of the category with unparalleled charm, whose fame extends far beyond the records achieved behind the wheel of F1 cars.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion aims to close the final chapter of his extraordinary career with an exclamation point, before dedicating himself to his numerous interests and ventures outside of sports. Managing the drivers will be challenging, even though Frederic Vasseur has had the chance to work with both in junior categories. For different reasons, the next drivers of the red team are going through a period of restlessness. The Monegasque is about to begin his seventh season with Ferrari. So far, he has collected many Pirelli tires thanks to his 26 pole positions, but has converted them into "only" eight race victories.
The situation is different for Lewis Hamilton. Despite a few flashes of brilliance in the last racing season, the Briton is incredibly eager to prove to himself and the world that he can still fight for the championship. The bitter night in Abu Dhabi four years ago remains unresolved and perhaps never will be. Ferrari offers a way to turn the page and find the motivation needed to write, perhaps, the most important chapter of his extraordinary career. To achieve this, needless to say, the Maranello team must provide him with a car capable of meeting the challenge.
This is precisely why the 677 project, which will most likely be known as the SF-25, has been designed with him in mind. Undoubtedly, adapting to the team will require a specific timeframe. However, holding the wheel of a "comfortable" car aligned with his driving style will greatly assist him in achieving his goals. Ferrari has worked extensively with Charles Leclerc, who knows the environment well and has taken on part of the responsibility of helping Lewis Hamilton settle in. This ensures that, from the preseason tests onward, the British driver can feel at ease, already familiar with all the technical qualities of the red car.
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