The Briton has been working hard testing with the Italian team during the pre-season, having run at the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya last week just a few days after he also ran at Fiorano.
Hamilton was told to push the car to the limits at Barcelona to get a feel for what it was like, although his run ended in a crash which Ferrari played down as a minor incident.
Ferrari suspects it was a bump in the circuit that caused Hamilton’s crash, although his former team boss Toto Wolff already knows Hamilton will bounce back from the setback after he did the same at Mercedes and beat Nico Rosberg in his first season.
There is a lot of discussion over whether Hamilton will beat Charles Leclerc in 2025, although Dutch racing driver Mike Hezemans thinks there is one ‘big problem’ that faces Hamilton when speaking to RacingNews365.nl.
Hamilton’s off in the private test suggests that he still has yet to reach the limit of the cars comfortably, although he has been working with Ferrari on its weaknesses within the team.
David Croft thinks Hamilton has his best shot of winning at title with Ferrari in 2025, citing the current competitive order being mixed up and the Maranello-based squads form coming into the season.
Hezemans believes Hamilton will need to overcome a significant hurdle if he wants to ensure that he can beat Leclerc, and challenge for his eighth Drivers’ Championship.
“I do think he’s [Hamilton] going to get into a big problem in qualifying. Of course he is still really good in the race.
He’s a fighter and it’s also about how the car suits him and how easy that car is to drive. That was a crime last year with that Mercedes. If you did something wrong, it didn’t go anymore,” said Hezemans.
Damon Hill already called Hamilton ‘a crashing bore’ because if the trend continues, he will be in line for a title with Ferrari in 2026.
Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes Hamilton’s crash is a ‘big deal’ because of the speeds involved, which could affect Hamilton’s confidence.
The car he was testing was the SF-23 which was previously a difficult car for both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to drive during the 2023 season.
Hamilton will be hoping that Ferrari’s 2025 challenger, which launches on the 19th February, will be much more predictable and suited to his driving style.
