Three reasons why Lewis Hamilton is set for his toughest F1 challenge to date

Lewis Hamilton is set to face his toughest challenge across his 18-year F1 career as he embarks on what could be an era-defining season at Ferrari.

The sporting legend was just 22-years-old when he joined McLaren in 2007 and it was in his first F1 race when he placed P3 following his team-mate Fernando Alonso in P2.

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While he found his groove from the start, the driver has had to face a number of difficult moments including the controversial 2021 season finale.

It was then the 2024 season which caused shockwaves to go through the industry as he announced he would be leaving Mercedes and joining Ferrari.

After 12 years with his former team, Hamilton will enter the upcoming season with all new expectations, a strong team-mate, and the inner-Ferrari dynamics that he’ll now have to contend with.

Here at GPFans, we have broken down the main challenges that Hamilton is set to face at Ferrari in 2025.

'Strongest pairing on the grid'

“We’re the strongest pairing F1 has probably ever had,” Hamilton remarked in a pre-season interview.

Although the claim is a bold one, many agree that this line-up boasts the best combination of speed and experience.

While this will be of advantage to the team, especially in the fight for the constructors', the duo will have their work cut out to become this year’s stand-out for the Tifosi.

Aside from the statistics, the relationship has continued to blossom between Leclerc and Hamilton as both are getting used to how each other operates. Within a media interview, Charles Leclerc has said: “I was surprised - our driving style is very similar.

“We both like to push quite a lot, especially the entries, and on that we are quite similar.”

Not only will Hamilton have a major competitor by his side, but Charles now has the toughest opponent he’s ever had to face sitting side-by-side with him in the paddock.

Team-mates are there to be beaten

It’s no secret that Lewis Hamilton’s previous year wasn't his best, with qualifying struggles prominent throughout.

On the other hand, Leclerc - who is going into his eighth season - has been excelling in becoming more consistent and last year nailed down the qualifying portion of the weekend.

Hamilton himself has described the Monegasque as being 'massively talented'. In an interview with media during the test days at the Bahrain International Circuit, he even highlighted the experience Leclerc already has within the team: “Obviously he’s been here for a long time, so he knows the team well, he speaks Italian, he’s at home and at ease…”

The team change-up does, however, appear to have brought a new sense of motivation for the 40-year-old. He has repeatedly shared his excitement about being in red, but this now has to carry him through the races and he’ll have to outperform Leclerc before thinking about hunting down the title.

Playing favourites: A task for Fred Vasseur

For many, Charles Leclerc’s name has become synonymous with the modern Ferrari F1 team. He joined the academy in 2016 and became the first ever driver from the program to race for the Prancing Horse in 2019.

With his background cemented in Maranello, the driver has long been referred to as the favourite.

Now that the seven-time world champion is on the scene, it’s not yet known how Fred Vasseur will manage both drivers' expectations. This is something that has become a contentious issue within the sport, with McLaren coming under criticism from fans last year for not prioritising one driver over the other as there were initial hopes of going for the title.

At the moment, the duo have a complimentary relationship but as the season starts and the races bring competition, how the two deal with being team-mates will be an interesting one as the legendary driver goes head-to-head with the team’s golden boy.

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