Ralf Schumacher does not believe in an eighth world title for Lewis Hamilton in 2025 and sees a danger for the Briton should he lose the duel against Charles Leclerc
Ralf Schumacher cannot imagine that Lewis Hamilton will fulfill his dream of an eighth Formula 1 title in his first year with Ferrari: “That would be illusory,” says the ex-driver in a season preview on Sky.
Because after his move from Mercedes, where Hamilton had driven for twelve years, the new combination with the team from Maranello first had to gel: “Three or four tenths seem to be missing at the moment, but that’s not unusual, because he may still have to get used to the car and the team,” says Schumacher.
But there are also question marks behind Ferrari’s competitiveness. The test drives in Bahrain last week at least did not indicate that the reds will be competing for the competition this season. On the contrary: there was still a bit missing from the absolute top.
“In my opinion, Ferrari was not really convincing in the test. I expected more from them,” agrees ex-driver Timo Glock, who doesn’t see the writing on the wall for the World Cup just yet: ‘They basically built a new car 99 percent of the time. That’s why it might take a little time to sort out the whole issue,’ says the German.
Important duel against Leclerc
But no matter how competitive Ferrari may be in the end, 2025 will be an extremely important season for the two drivers in the team. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are two drivers who both claim to lead the team. Hamilton, as a seven-time world champion, anyway, and Leclerc has long been seen as the driving force and future of the Scuderia.
But one of them will definitely lose the duel, and that could also become a problem for Hamilton, believes Schumacher: “If Charles Leclerc is stronger and remains so, then it’s clear that the zenith has been passed in some form,” he says.
Then Hamilton’s dream marriage with Ferrari could quickly lose its luster: “In Italy, they have everything but no patience with drivers who don’t perform,” says Schumacher.
“Conversely, if Lewis Hamilton is faster than Charles Leclerc, who was once considered the hope and the talent of the century, then that would of course be more or less settled.”
Different fate than Alonso & Vettel?
Ferrari is a world of its own. Many top drivers have come to Maranello hoping to become world champions. But time and again they have failed in recent years, be it Fernando Alonso or Sebastian Vettel, who have not been able to bring a title to Italy. In fact, the team has been waiting for a title since 2008.
“I remember it very well, in the beginning, when my brother got there, it wasn’t easy either,” Schumacher recalls of Michael’s beginnings in 1996, who, after a long dry spell – the last driver’s title was in 1979 – had to do a few years of groundwork before the big successes came.
“And then it was on the verge of tipping over. And then the button came off,” says Schumacher. ‘And then came this stable phase.’
Will Hamilton get the necessary emotional support?
But that hasn’t been the case in recent years, partly because Ferrari had a more Italian flavor again, says Schumacher. “From my point of view, [Mattia] Binotto didn’t have the right touch to guide the team’s fortunes.”
It remains to be seen whether Ferrari can turn things around, because the ex-driver believes that ‘emotional man’ Hamilton needs a sense of security to function. ”Toto Wolff has always done that quite well. He has always supported him.”
Ferrari is also trying to do the same, and Hamilton seems to know this too, after all, he recently brought his former closest confidant, physiotherapist Angela Cullen, back into his team.
