Former Renault team principal Flavio Briatore believes that Lewis Hamilton will not have an easy time at Scuderia Ferrari, with the Brit having to win the duel against a rather uncomfortable opponent like Charles Leclerc.
Several months are still to go before Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at the Maranello team, but it’s inevitable that fans and insiders’ attention, despite the 2024 Formula 1 season being in full swing, is still focused on 2025, in the hope that the Max Verstappen – Red Bull dominance can be broken in the coming months.
The question on everyone’s mind, especially after Charles Leclerc’s recent renewal, who last month signed a multi-year contract, effectively binding himself for life with the prancing horse, is the following: who will win the internal battle, and what will the cohabitation between the two be like?
We are obviously talking about two great champions, despite Lewis Hamilton boasting seven more F1 world titles than the Monegasque, but Charles’s driving skills are undeniable, as is his status within the Maranello team.
Despite the Mercedes driver’s impressive track record speaking in his favor, Flavio Briatore, guest on the Italian show “La Domenica nel pallone,” believes that Lewis will not have an easy time in the duel with his future teammate: “If Lewis Hamilton were at Ferrari today, he would do the same things as Charles Leclerc, who is a fast driver.”
“For me, Charles Leclerc is underrated, Hamilton will struggle to stay ahead of him. Drivers like Lewis Hamilton, if the car is not competitive, contribute little of their own. If he sees the possibility of getting on the podium, on the other hand, he has an extra gear.” – the Italian pointed out.
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Ferrari, of course, hopes to see the two fighting for the first position, but to do so, the Maranello technicians will have to be good at closing the gap with Red Bull this year, to arrive in 2025 with a car on par with that of the Milton Keynes team.
“The Ferrari needs to be more competitive,” Flavio Briatore concluded. “When there’s a 6 or 7-tenths gap, it’s impossible to contend for the title. The car must be improved by getting as close as possible to Red Bull. If the gap is this, there’s no driver who can make a difference. It’s not the driver who solves all the problems of a team.” – the former Renault team principal concluded.
Source: f1ingenerale
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