Dutch racer Tim Coronel feels the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton could have a lot of fireworks in between them in 2025. The 2025 F1 season will see Hamilton join the Italian team after more than a decade with Mercedes.
The Briton is now a seven-time world champion, and he's joining Ferrari to accomplish his goal of becoming an eight-time champion and beating Michael Schumacher's record. To achieve that, the driver should have a strong enough car in 2025, as the Italian team ended last season on a strong enough note. There are, however, a few obstacles that he will have to overcome within the team as well.
The first of them would be his teammate Charles Leclerc, who was brilliant in 2024, while Lewis Hamilton himself had a somewhat iffy form against his Mercedes teammate George Russell. Talking about how the Brit would fare against the Monagasque, Coronel told Racingnews365 that he is going to be fine in terms of performance.
He did, however, add that both drivers were going to have a few spicy moments against each other as they battle for supremacy within the team. He said:
"He finished it in style. You are not world champion seven times for nothing and maybe he had a bit less motivation for a while. But I think he will find the fire again at Ferrari. And when you see fire in Hamilton, you see him do beautiful things. We saw that in the last race too. I expect a lot of fireworks and I guarantee it!"
He added:
"There will of course be a battle to see who is actually the strongest. Something will really happen there. The Ferrari is very good, we have seen that in the last races (of 2024, ed.). Hamilton is really looking forward to it, I know that for sure. I would be the same as a driver."
The old Lewis Hamilton would be back at Ferrari - Tim Coronel
The Dutch racer felt that going into a team like Ferrari where Fred Vasseur would be at the helm is going to give Lewis Hamilton further confidence. The Frenchman is someone Hamilton trusts and that is something that may see him get back to his old level. He said:
"And in a warm nest you really come into your own. He has now found that warm nest again. Fred Vasseur is his old manager, he has done a lot with him in the past. The trust is there and in the last race he also regained some trust himself. I think we will see a Hamilton that we want to see again. The combative Hamilton."
A move to Ferrari means this will be the first time in his F1 career that Lewis Hamilton will have a non-Mercedes engine. It is certainly a new beginning for the driver but it will be interesting to see how much of an impact it has on his overall performance.