McLaren v Ferrari rivalry simmers as Oscar Piastri offers Lewis Hamilton thought

Oscar Piastri has revealed if he wasn't racing in F1, seeing Lewis Hamilton win the world title with Ferrari “would be pretty cool”.

Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari has dominated the sporting headlines since his first appearance at Maranello in January.

The seven-time world champion has the mammoth task of becoming Ferrari’s first champion since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.

Hamilton will likely face stern competition from McLaren, which ended the year as the fastest team as they won the constructors’ championship in Abu Dhabi.

Appearing on the The Fast and the Curious podcast, Piastri was asked whether it would be good for F1 if Hamilton won the title in his first year with Ferrari.

The question is effectively identical to what he was asked on the same podcast 12 months ago - when Hamilton winning the drivers’ title in his final year with Mercedes would have been a fairytale.

Piastri’s response in 2024 was more direct, stating: “No, it would not be incredible. What are you talking about?”

When asked about Hamilton at Ferrari, Piastri initially replied: “I mean it would not. It would still be the same answer as last year."

He then added: “Although if I wasn’t racing in F1, seeing Lewis Hamilton win a world championship with Ferrari would be pretty cool.”

McLaren v Ferrari in 2025?

By the end of 2024, McLaren and Ferrari were F1’s two in-form teams.

As a result, just 13 points separated them at the end of the season, finishing well ahead of Red Bull.

McLaren’s in-season development propelled them to the front of the pack, but poor strategy decisions and driver errors left wins on the table.

For Ferrari, they were left to rue a mid-season upgrade in Barcelona, which didn’t work out, leading to a horrid run of form before a strong end to the campaign.

With the rules staying stable over the winter, both teams are expected to be right at the sharp-end again.

The signing of Lewis Hamilton will bolster Ferrari, while Loic Serra has more involvement on the technical side of the organisation.

F1’s two legendary teams could be set for another titanic battle for the title in 2025.