Red Bull team boss Christian Horner believes that Lewis Hamilton will be a major contender in the 2025 F1 championship, as the British motorsport executive begins to assess the competitive landscape for the upcoming season. Horner’s prediction follows Hamilton’s high-profile switch from Mercedes to Ferrari, a move that sent shockwaves through the paddock. Announced in February, Hamilton’s transfer came shortly after he signed a one-plus-one-year deal with Mercedes in August 2023, only to decide a few months later to join Ferrari, ending over a decade with the Silver Arrows.
This decision is considered one of the most significant driver shifts in F1 since Lewis Hamilton left McLaren for Mercedes in 2012. It also sets up an intriguing rivalry with Charles Leclerc, the rising star who famously outperformed Sebastian Vettel in 2020 by a wide margin, outqualifying the four-time world champion 13-4. Now, fans are eagerly awaiting how Hamilton will fare alongside Charles Leclerc, who has established himself as a force within the Scuderia.
The excitement around Lewis Hamilton’s move is further fueled by Ferrari’s recent resurgence. The team has shown substantial improvement under team principal Frederic Vasseur, securing five wins this season and marking a rare achievement as the only team with both drivers securing pole positions. Ferrari’s upward trajectory suggests they will be a formidable force in 2025, adding weight to Christian Horner’s belief that Lewis Hamilton will be squarely in the title fight.
Christian Horner sees Lewis Hamilton’s experience and adaptability as assets that will aid him in adjusting to the new environment at Ferrari and believes that with Ferrari’s newfound momentum, the British driver will have everything he needs to be a top contender in the battle for the 2025 title.
“He comes from a very comfortable environment, an environment he knows very well having been around it for more than ten years now,” – the Red Bull team boss explained in a recent interview for TalkSPORT. “So for sure it will be a big change for Lewis. He will find Charles Leclerc who is another very fast driver, but in general Ferrari is a team that gives the impression of being in good shape and I am sure that a driver with Lewis’s qualities should always be a title contender. He may simply have chosen the right moment to change. Obviously he saw things so he chose to change teams in the end. He believes in the future of Ferrari, so it will be fascinating to see how it turns out.” – he added.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion celebrated an emotional win at the 2024 British Grand Prix, marking his 105th career victory by holding off fierce competition from Max Verstappen and Lando Norris to triumph at Silverstone. This win symbolized a high point in Hamilton’s final season with Mercedes, capping off 11 years of unparalleled success and dominance in Formula 1.
In his absence, Mercedes will be entrusting its future to young talent Kimi Antonelli, while Carlos Sainz departs for Williams, teaming up with Alex Albon under the leadership of James Vowles.
Hamilton looks ahead to Ferrari F1 2025 move
Lewis Hamilton’s transition to Ferrari offers some solace in what has been a challenging farewell season with Mercedes, a team that finds itself only the third-fastest on the grid during the final stretch of a grueling 24-race calendar. The W15 has struggled with both pace and consistency, suffering from a difficult balance and a recurrence of porpoising issues, particularly evident at the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Although frustrated with the W15’s limitations, Hamilton’s impending move means he can endure Mercedes’ current struggles, knowing that they may work to his advantage next year if the team isn’t taking critical points from his new efforts at Ferrari.
As he readies for his transition to Italy, Lewis Hamilton has been closely following Ferrari’s resurgence, especially given Red Bull’s dominant form early in the season. The prospect of competing with a reinvigorated Ferrari in 2025 has given him renewed optimism, making his move to Maranello a promising step for the final chapter of his F1 career.
“I’m very interested in my future,” – the British driver responded in an interview for the media at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo – “And so in that respect, keeping an eye [on Ferrari]. I’m watching everything that happens.
“It’s been quite incredible to see the McLaren rise and then the Ferrari in the last few races. To see their progress and just trying to keep an eye on everyone’s car and what they’re changing and what they’re adding. Through the year, the beginning of the year, if you look at somewhere like maybe China, the Red Bull was like a second ahead.” – the seven-time Formula 1 world champion concluded.
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