Who will be Ferrari’s number one driver in 2025, Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc? Former Haas team boss Günther Steiner knows who he would bet on. Steiner sees the younger Leclerc overtaking the experienced star this year.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are embarking on their first season as Ferrari teammates. According to the seven-time world champion, the collaboration has been going well so far, but that could naturally change if one of the two drivers is vying for the world title. Former team boss Günther Steiner knows who he would put his money on.
“Lewis is of course a very good racer, but he is getting older. Charles, on the other hand, is still young,” begins the former Haas team boss in his explanation to CNN. “After a few races as Lewis’s teammate, I think Charles could well be Ferrari’s number one driver by the end of the season.”
Team Orders?
If indeed an internal struggle between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc arises, Ferrari may have to resort to team orders at some point. The Scuderia has shown in the past that they are not averse to team orders, as was the case when Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello drove for the Italian team.
However, Steiner expects that it will not be an easy task for Ferrari to issue orders to Leclerc and Hamilton. “Both Lewis and Charles drove for Fred (Vasseur) in their Formula 2 and Formula 3 days. So he has a good relationship with both,” Steiner explains the challenge for the Ferrari team boss. “There will be times when Fred has to make difficult decisions. However, I don’t think he’s afraid of that.”
