One of the highlights that the World Formula 1 Championship has in store for us this season is how Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will coexist within Ferrari and whether, as many predict, everything will finally blow up or, on the contrary, we will see Ferrari return to the top and overcome the worst title droughts in its history.
Ferrari finished last season with one of the best cars on the grid and they are confident that they can fight for the title (for drivers and constructors) during the season that is about to begin.
The fight between who will be the number 1 of the team is going to be fought from the very beginning. A priori, everything suggests that Leclerc starts with an advantage. The Monegasque driver has been with the team for seven years and this is his best chance to win the long-awaited world championship. He knows the structure of the team, the engineers, he has the support of the tifosi and everything points to him being the one to lead the team.
However, his new teammate is not just anyone, he is the most successful driver in the history of Formula 1, and he has not joined Ferrari just to parade around in red. His goal is none other than to win his eighth world championship, and doing so with Ferrari would cap an immaculate career for the Briton.
Tension between the two rivals
On the outside, it’s all smiles and kind words, with compliments and kind words between the two of them, but on the inside, they’re both trying to get the upper hand. This was seen on the day of the Ferrari presentation in Milan, where both drivers were more concerned with showing themselves ahead of the other.
On the other hand, Ferrari boss Frédéric Vasseur has made sure to convey to his two drivers that they have total freedom to compete, and that it will be the track that puts each one in the position they deserve.
Helmut Marko enters the scene
Helmut Marko, Red Bull‘s advisor, has entered the scene to assess his view of what is expected to be one of the toughest battles between two team-mates seen in recent years. For Marko, Leclerc is ahead at the moment, he is confident that Hamilton will adapt to his new team, but he thinks it is unlikely that he will be in contention for victories. “He may not have a chance of winning”.
Helmut Marko argues in favor of Leclerc after seeing him in the Bahrain tests. “In Bahrain, Leclerc was much faster, but that’s normal. He knows the team, he knows the car… Hamilton has done a lot of laps, he has improved little by little, but he has not reached Leclerc’s level.”
Despite what he said, he warned of the Englishman’s performance. “There’s only the first race left. We know that Hamilton, if everything fits, can improve incredibly”. “One is a multiple world champion, the other is looking for his first title… but he is the best qualifier”.
“The grid is very tight, a difference of three or four tenths in qualifying can mean three to five positions on the grid. You know how difficult it is to overtake nowadays, from that point of view, it is crucial that Hamilton can evaluate the first qualifying sessions on equal terms with Leclerc, but that is not easy at all”.
Helmut Marko comments on the great challenge for Lewis Hamilton at the end of his career. ‘He went to Ferrari of his own accord, he was looking for a new challenge and I think he will do everything possible to ensure that his expectations are met’.
He insists that everything can change and is looking forward to seeing what happens. “We are still in the early days… Hamilton can improve in a supernatural way, but it can also happen that, if the factors don’t fit, he doesn’t see any possibility of winning and loses some of his motivation,” he said.