Who has a better shot at 2025 F1 title: Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton? Peter Windsor weighs in
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As Ferrari enters the 2025 Formula 1 season, they are poised with their best opportunity in 15 years to contend for a championship, bolstered by one of the most promising driver lineups in the team’s history. The Scuderia will field a dynamic pairing of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton alongside Ferrari stalwart Charles Leclerc. With both drivers on board, Ferrari aims to challenge Red Bull and McLaren's dominance at the top of the grid.
Lewis Hamilton's debut season at Ferrari will be marked by a unique livery as the team embraces the excitement of having one of the sport's greatest drivers join their ranks for only the second time in the team's storied history. The team concluded the 2024 season with the second-fastest car, showing strong progress. If their winter development under team principal Fred Vasseur proves fruitful, Ferrari could emerge as genuine contenders right from the opening race in Australia. Unlike his time at Mercedes, Hamilton won't face the same extreme car issues, as the Ferrari is expected to better complement his driving style.
This shift in car dynamics could potentially improve Lewis Hamilton's results, helping to rectify the one-lap pace deficit he struggled with during the 2024 season alongside George Russell.
Peter Windsor Favors Charles Leclerc Over Lewis Hamilton for 2025 Title Challenge
Charles Leclerc, now entering his seventh season with Ferrari, has become deeply integrated within the team. Over the past six years, the Monegasque driver has built a strong relationship with Ferrari's engineers and management, ensuring that the car and team environment have been designed with his preferences in mind.
This familiarity creates a challenging situation for Lewis Hamilton, as he arrives in a well-established environment tailored to his new teammate. The current Formula One journalist, and former Formula 1 team and sponsorship manager believes that Charles Leclerc's deeper connection with the team and its development gives him a better chance to win the 2025 F1 title. Peter Windsor argues that, over the course of a demanding 24-race season, Charles Leclerc’s long-standing relationship with the Maranello team may provide him with an edge over Hamilton, despite the seven-time champion's vast experience and talent.
Peter Windsor stated that he believed the ratio was correct, adding that Charles Leclerc had a much better chance of winning the championship over a long season compared to Lewis Hamilton. Windsor also expressed that he would give Leclerc a much higher chance than 17%, which he found to be unreasonable. He argued that when assessing the chances of a driver, like Lando Norris for example, it was clear that he would have a 85% chance of winning the championship in 2025. He further suggested that Oscar Piastri's chances stood at 84%, explaining that this was the way he approached evaluating the situation.
Why Lewis Hamilton Could Defy Expectations and Capture the 2025 F1 Championship
After enduring three challenging seasons where he often found himself battling in the midfield, Lewis Hamilton is primed and motivated to make a bold push for a record eighth Drivers' Championship in 2025. The hunger for victory and redemption will fuel his determination, and he's prepared to fight harder than ever for the ultimate prize.
Hamilton's toughest rivals for the title will likely be Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, and reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who is aiming for an unprecedented fifth consecutive championship. Verstappen's current streak began with a fierce rivalry against Hamilton in 2021, where the two engaged in a dramatic battle throughout the season, culminating in a controversial final lap overtaking move at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
While Verstappen has continued to dominate the sport since that epic showdown, Hamilton's fight with him remains unfinished, making the British driver an even more formidable adversary. The emotional impact of that near-miss, combined with Hamilton’s relentless drive, means he enters the 2025 season with a renewed sense of purpose.
For Lewis Hamilton, the idea of clinching that elusive eighth title would serve as both the ultimate redemption and the perfect conclusion to his illustrious career. Winning the championship with Ferrari would be the crowning achievement of his already legendary F1 journey, offering him the chance to close the chapter with a spectacular comeback. If he's placed in the right car—a car that aligns with his skillset—it remains very much within the realm of possibility for Hamilton to achieve the unthinkable and silence his critics once and for all.
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