‘Intriguing’ Lewis Hamilton v Charles Leclerc Ferrari battle predicted

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will engage in an “intriguing” and “tough to call” intra-team battle at Ferrari next season, legendary former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan has predicted.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton is leaving Mercedes to make a blockbuster move to Ferrari in 2025, where he will be paired with Leclerc.

The thought of F1’s most successful driver going up against one of the sport’s most highly-rated stars in equal machinery is a tantalising prospect, and one that Jordan cannot wait to watch unfold.

“There is no doubt that the Italian framework and how they operate is different,” Jordan said on the Formula For Success podcast. 

“So there’s a bit of a learning curve there for Lewis. And please remember something, in Charles they have a little treasure, they think. They absolutely adore him, there’s no one like him and he is a particularly nice person.

“For Lewis to go in there and assume he’s just going to walk all over Charles Leclerc, I don’t think Lewis is thinking like that and he shouldn’t think like that.

“It’s going to be a tough call and it’s going to be one of the most intriguing battles that I’m looking forward to next year, how those two square up to each other.” 

Former Ferrari race engineer Rob Smedley backed Hamilton to get the better of Leclerc over the course of a 24-race season.

“I don’t think Lewis will go in there with that attitude. I think that Lewis is a true professional. I think he knows how good Charles is. But he will also back himself to beat him over 24 races,” Smedley said.

Asked by Jordan if he thinks he will, Smedley replied: “I think he will. I think he will. I think there’ll come a point when he won’t be able to do that anymore. But it’s certainly not now. I mean the guy’s so fit. He’s so mentally strong.

“What we’ve seen, I think with Lewis over these last couple of years, is… I don’t want to call it a lack of motivation because that would be disrespectful to the guy, but I think we’ve every now and again some frustration that comes through in him not being able to deliver at 10/10s like he has been able to in the past.

“But there’s no doubt about the amount of passion that this guy has and how much he wants to win. If you look at his reaction after the British Grand Prix this, that tells you everything you need to know.

“It was a masterclass in Lewis Hamilton, seven-times world champion, how to win a race. A super impressive drive. But you saw the passion and emotion at the end. This guy wants to win.

“There’s also a certain amount of humility when you are constantly looking inward and thinking ‘what do I need to do better?’. So I don’t think Lewis is going to go to Ferrari and think that he’s going to trounce Charles.

“First of all, he won’t be able to, because it won’t be that easy. I think he’ll work very, very hard and integrate him into the team and I think that’ll be the next stage of making Ferrari.”

Smedley believes the situation is a “win-win” for Ferrari.