7x Champion V/S Tifosi’s Wonderboy – Have Ferrari Set Themselves Up for a Season Full of Friction?

Ferrari made the biggest coup in their recent history when they secured the signature of Lewis Hamilton from the 2025 season onwards. The Italian team swept the seven-time world champion right under Mercedes‘ nose. It seems like an excellent acquisition right now and also feels like a step in the right direction with intent from the Italian team. However, there is an underlying theme no one is talking about. It’s the theme that has been prevalent in the world of F1 for ages. We are talking about intra-team rivalry which is the unavoidable essence of F1.

Now that Hamilton is joining Ferrari he will be driving alongside Charles Leclerc. This effectively pits the two together. We will witness Leclerc go head-to-head with Hamilton in equal machinery. A dream scenario for many but a daunting one for Ferrari. This scenario, if not controlled can spiral out of control and give us yet another epic teammate rivalry saga. However, can we also expect the opposite? Will Hamilton and Leclerc get along like old pals and help each other out on and off the track? Let’s put the two scenarios in perspective.

Lewis Hamilton Vs Charles Leclerc: The rivalry

There are plenty of reasons for the two to be clashing horns at Ferrari. Leclerc is clearly the favorite according to most on account of his sharing a long history with the Italian team. However, a bond cannot be defined or determined by its duration. We believe a bond is defined by quality and not quantity and so far, Leclerc has hardly given the Tifosi and the Italian team any quality in terms of substantial achievements.

Hamilton can come in and very easily win the hearts of the Tifosi and his team with a regular taste of silverware and exciting races. In the world of sports, shifting loyalties doesn’t take long. Moreover, if Ferrari does provide Hamilton with a car with which he can deliver every other race weekend, then the team will have a more pressing issue at hand, who to favor.

It’s no secret Hamilton is still chasing the record-breaking elusive eighth title. This was the driving force behind his move to Ferrari. Now in his bid to fight for the title, he not only needs a competitive enough car and beat the competition, but he will also need to convincingly beat his teammate to get the preference at Ferrari. This will surely amount to some friction in the team.

On the flip side, Hamilton might face the same outcome he did in 2022 against his new, young, and ambitious teammate. We all know Leclerc isn’t a slouch either and he will surely put his best foot forward in every race, especially knowing he has to overshadow a seven-time world champion now. He’s already done that with a 4x champ in the past, what’s a few more titles? Plus, talking about quality earlier, Leclerc wants to win his first championship with Ferrari and he is capable. In fact, some even believe Leclerc has more talent than today’s Hamilton.

Read More: Charles Leclerc Revealed Lewis Hamilton “Can See Exactly Where Max [Verstappen’s] Car Is Better”, but He Still Doubts His Future Teammate

So if a championship is within reach, that’s what both will aim for and it will surely make things interesting at Maranello. However, we could be completely wrong with this assessment and the two could shock the world with their harmony under Frederic Vasseur’s leadership.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc a perfect portrait of F1 team harmony

There could be a scenario where we see both Hamilton and Leclerc paint the perfect picture of harmony for Ferrari in 2025, at least. We could see the two keep the common goal above everything else. When the team sees one driver push ahead in front of the other, both come to a gentleman’s agreement and help the other achieve the goal. Sounds too good to be true, but it can be done. Although there will be a key figure conducting this orchestra, Frederic Vasseur.

Vasseur will be key in managing his two extremely high-profile drivers which has never been the easiest task in the world of F1. Almost every boss on the grid has failed at that when faced with this impossible task of keeping the egos of world-championship-capable divers in check.

In front of the two, Vasseur will have to show he’s the real boss, and no matter who you are, whatever he says, goes! However, Vasseur will also have to be fair. He won’t be able to ask Hamilton to let Leclerc pass just because he’s been with the team since 2019 and not expect pushback.

However, if Vasseur can be a just leader and give his drivers equal opportunities and promote the ones who took those opportunities and have a real chance of winning the championship, we might see both Lecelrc and Hamilton working ceremoniously toward ending the Italian team’s silverware drought.

WATCH THIS STORY: Charles Leclerc’s Hopeful Mission: Reviving Ferrari Despite Massive Gap!

The idea is to bring silverware back to Maranello and only Vasseur can implement this goal-oriented mindset in the two. However, Hamilton’s desire for the eighth and Leclerc’s hunger for the first might become a clashing point. So before we have all the facts on hand, let’s not jump to conclusions and wait for the 2025 season.

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EssentiallySports.