Lewis Hamilton once stunned by Ferrari's decision to drop one of his favorite F1 drivers
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Lewis Hamilton will soon begin his 2025 season preparations with Ferrari, joining his new teammate, Charles Leclerc, in Maranello. Both drivers are expected to start their work in the coming weeks, with all eyes naturally on the seven-time world champion as he begins this new chapter with the legendary team. While Hamilton will be the focal point of attention, it is likely that Leclerc will also log similar test mileage to ensure that he isn’t left at a disadvantage in the early stages of their partnership.
Charles Leclerc, who has been with Ferrari for six full seasons, may start the 2025 campaign with a distinct advantage. As Karun Chandhok pointed out, Leclerc was the second-best driver in 2024, behind Max Verstappen, while Hamilton finished in seventh. Charles Leclerc's performance in 2024 was impressive—he finished third in the championship standings and secured 13 podium finishes, including three victories. In stark contrast, Hamilton endured his worst season to date, failing to secure a top-six finish for the first time in his illustrious career.
Charles Leclerc's deeper experience with Ferrari, including his time with their driver academy since 2016, means he is already highly familiar with their team processes and working methods. Moreover, the Monegasque driver is fluent in Italian, a skill that could enhance his integration into Ferrari's environment.
The Monegasque driver’s rise in Formula 1 has been rapid, having started with Sauber in 2018 after winning the F2 championship. His impressive performances quickly earned him a move to Ferrari, where he replaced Kimi Raikkonen in 2019. Raikkonen, whom Hamilton has often described as one of his “favorite drivers,” was a major influence on him during his early days in F1. In fact, the British driver and Raikkonen shared a brief spell as McLaren teammates, during which the Finnish driver impressed Hamilton with his cool and calm demeanor on and off the track.
In 2018, Lewis Hamilton told Blick that he was puzzled by Ferrari's decision to part ways with Raikkonen, describing him as an “extraordinary” driver. At that time, Hamilton had already become a fan of Kimi Raikkonen's unorthodox approach, especially during their time at McLaren when Kimi Raikkonen narrowly beat him to the 2007 World Championship. The two would go on to have an intense rivalry, with Kimi Raikkonen famously staging an incredible comeback to claim the 2007 title by just one point, only for Hamilton to secure his own championship in 2008.
Lewis Hamilton's respect for Raikkonen extended to his farewell from Ferrari, where he suggested that the Scuderia may have made a mistake in letting the Finnish veteran go. Kimi Raikkonen would go on to join Sauber, where he raced for three more seasons before his eventual retirement from Formula 1. Hamilton's admiration for the Finnish driver is clear, and it's a sentiment that adds an interesting dynamic to his relationship with Ferrari as he steps into the team Kimi Raikkonen once called home.
Lewis Hamilton expressed that he didn’t believe Raikkonen would change in his final races, praising him as an extraordinary professional and a fantastic driver. He added that Raikkonen remained one of his favorite drivers and stated that, in his opinion, Ferrari was losing a very important driver, a decision that didn't make sense to him.
Hamilton’s initial assessment of Leclerc's potential appeared to have been incorrect, as the Ferrari newcomer exceeded expectations. In his debut season with Ferrari in 2019, Leclerc secured two Grand Prix victories and immediately outperformed the experienced four-time world champion, Sebastian Vettel, in points.
Meanwhile, Kimi Raikkonen’s time at Ferrari was marked by a significant contrast in performance compared to his teammate, Vettel. Despite Vettel winning 14 races during their partnership, Raikkonen claimed only a single victory, at the 2018 US Grand Prix, which highlighted the disparity between the two.
Despite this, when asked about his best teammate, Raikkonen surprisingly overlooked Vettel. Instead, he named David Coulthard, his first partner at McLaren, as the best teammate he had ever had. Raikkonen also shared a competitive partnership with Fernando Alonso in his second stint in Formula 1. His return to Ferrari was influenced by Alonso's growing frustration with the team, as it was believed that the Spanish driver needed a fresh challenge, which ultimately led to Raikkonen’s return.
Despite his impressive form at Lotus, Raikkonen’s second spell with Ferrari ultimately didn’t meet expectations, as he was unable to secure a championship, leaving the team to search for a new direction.
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