Lewis Hamilton Ferrari achievement that Vettel has….read more
Sebastian Vettel has expressed his hope that Lewis Hamilton will bring a title-winning resurgence to Ferrari in F1 2025, as Hamilton pursues a record eighth championship. Vettel, a four-time World Champion, reflected on his own near misses with Ferrari and his respect for Hamilton, particularly for the role the British driver played in denying him the title in the past.
Hamilton’s long and successful partnership with Mercedes saw him win six of his seven titles, including two in 2017 and 2018, when Vettel was his closest challenger while driving for Ferrari. Now, with Hamilton joining Ferrari, Vettel is hopeful that he can help end the team’s title drought. Ferrari has not won a Drivers’ Championship since 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen, and their last Constructors’ title came in 2008.
Speaking on the BBC Sports World podcast, Vettel discussed Ferrari’s struggle to return to the top, noting that the team’s challenges during his time there were partly due to Hamilton’s dominance. “Well, for me, it didn’t quite work because Lewis was there,” Vettel said, reflecting on his own attempts to clinch the title with Ferrari. “Let’s see now how he will get on. But yeah, my fingers are crossed.” Vettel, who has shared a strong rapport with Hamilton over the years, praised the Briton’s driving skills and leadership on and off the track. “His on-track skills don’t need to be repeated. The numbers and statistics speak for themselves,” Vettel added. “It’s great to see that he’s still on the grid, and he still has that influence and uses it in a positive manner.”
Despite his support for Hamilton, Vettel acknowledged that Ferrari’s new driver lineup, with Charles Leclerc alongside Hamilton, presents a significant challenge. Leclerc, who outperformed Vettel during the 2020 season, has been fast in 2025, though Hamilton has had the upper hand in their qualifying head-to-head so far, outqualifying Leclerc in China for both the Sprint and the Grand Prix. However, Leclerc has managed to finish ahead of Hamilton in the races.
Vettel sees Ferrari’s lineup as a strong one, but he also emphasized that it takes many factors to align for a driver to contend for the championship. “In the end, it takes a lot of things to come together to be there in the last couple of races and fight for the championship. So we will see. It will be close,” he noted.
The pressure of racing for Ferrari is something Vettel understands well, and he was asked if Hamilton would face a different kind of pressure in his new role. Vettel suggested that while Ferrari’s environment could be unique, Hamilton’s competitive nature means he has very high expectations of himself, regardless of the team he dr
ives for.
