Ferrari once pushed "great champion" out after realizing he couldn't match Lewis Hamilton's speed
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When Lewis Hamilton joins Ferrari in 2025, he will undoubtedly feel as though he is crossing into enemy territory. Over the course of his illustrious Formula 1 career, Hamilton has consistently found himself in intense battles against the Scuderia for the sport’s most prestigious titles.
From the very beginning of his F1 journey, Lewis Hamilton was thrust into fierce competition with Ferrari. In his rookie season, he contested the championship against Kimi Raikkonen, as well as his McLaren teammate, Fernando Alonso. Kimi Raikkonen ultimately claimed the title in one of the most dramatic comebacks in F1 history, clinching it by a mere point. The following year, with Alonso departed and Kimi Raikkonen struggling, Lewis Hamilton found himself going head-to-head with Felipe Massa for the crown. The heartache was palpable for Massa’s engineer, Rob Smedley, who was visibly devastated after Lewis Hamilton's crucial last-lap pass on Timo Glock in the Brazilian Grand Prix sealed Massa’s title loss.
As the years progressed, Ferrari remained a constant rival to Lewis Hamilton. From 2010 onwards, Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull dominated the sport, but the British driver and Ferrari continued their rivalry through numerous intense encounters, including several controversial moments with Massa and close championship duels with Ferrari's new recruit, Fernando Alonso.
In 2012, Lewis Hamilton made the decision to leave McLaren for Mercedes. By the time the turbo-hybrid era of F1 began, Lewis Hamilton was in the perfect position to dominate the sport, while Ferrari struggled to produce a car capable of challenging Mercedes. It wasn't until 2017 that Ferrari presented a car competitive enough to truly contend with Lewis Hamilton's dominance. In that season, Sebastian Vettel came within 46 points of Lewis Hamilton, and although the margin was wider in 2018, with Lewis Hamilton leading by 88 points, it hardly tells the full story of just how close the battle was. For a significant portion of that season, the four-time F1 world champion was actually ahead in the standings, having secured a victory at Lewis Hamilton's home race at Silverstone.
After the heartbreak of 2018, Ferrari made a pivotal decision to overhaul their driver lineup. They replaced the veteran Kimi Raikkonen with their rising star, Charles Leclerc, who had impressed during his rookie season at Sauber. The team had also considered Kevin Magnussen as a potential candidate, but it was Charles Leclerc who earned a promotion to the Scuderia.
Leclerc's first season with Ferrari in 2019 was marked by a clear shift in the team's dynamics, as he finished ahead of Sebastian Vettel by 24 points, despite the narrow gap. Leclerc's standout performances included wins in Belgium and, most notably, Italy, while the German driver triumphed at the Marina Bay street circuit.
Just before the start of the delayed 2020 season, Ferrari made the shock announcement that Vettel would be leaving the team, with Carlos Sainz taking his place. According to F1 journalist Mark Hughes, Sebastian Vettel's departure had become inevitable after he was bested by his Monegasque teammate. The Italian side had begun to doubt whether Vettel could match the pace of the seven-time Formula 1 world champion, a suspicion that had lingered since their title battles. Leclerc's rise had effectively sidelined Vettel, leaving the German isolated within the team. Vettel would finish his F1 career with Aston Martin before retiring.
Sebastian Vettel, the youngest four-time world champion in F1 history, was unable to add to his impressive tally of titles during the final years of his career. However, despite falling short of his ultimate goal with Ferrari, Vettel commands deep respect from his peers. Fernando Alonso has hailed him as a “great champion” upon the announcement of his retirement, and Lewis Hamilton has often spoken of the former Ferrari man as “far more than just a driver.”
In fact, Lewis Hamilton's relationship with Sebastian Vettel has grown warmer over time. Before his move to Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton even reached out to Vettel for advice regarding Ferrari engineer Riccardo Adami, who worked with Sebastian Vettel during his time at the Scuderia. This gesture highlights the mutual respect and camaraderie that has developed between the two drivers as their careers have progressed.
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