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The F1 world is still grappling with Lewis Hamilton announcing that he will join Ferrari after departing Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season. The seven-time champion's seismic move to join the Scuderia has heightened anticipation for what is in store when he joins forces with Charles Leclerc.
F1 presenter Will Buxton reckons Hamilton's move to join Ferrari will reignite his passion to fight for an elusive eighth title. More importantly, he believes the seven-time world champion will serve as the ultimate benchmark for Leclerc.
In a column for Formula 1, Buxton highlighted that Leclerc will get an opportunity to go head-to-head with F1's most successful driver. The Monegasque will also be presented with the chance to glean insights and knowledge from the veteran driver.
"While Hamilton is already hungry to return to the top step of the podium and the fight for the world crown, don’t underestimate the increased desire a change in team can also create," Buxton wrote.
"So what Ferrari gains is what Mercedes loses. While George Russell could be presented with a great opportunity, what Charles Leclerc gains is the ultimate benchmark. The ability to compare and contrast with one of the greatest and discover from whence that sprinkling of magic dust comes, and if he can recreate it."
The F1 presenter also believes Ferrari could gain massively from the move to sign Lewis Hamilton. Apart from receiving the Briton's services, his exit from Mercedes could attract the team's engineers and team members to follow him to the Maranello-based team.
"But it's not just championship-winning know-how behind the wheel that Ferrari is set to gain. With a world champion driver comes the magnetic appeal of star quality. The best engineers, designers, mechanics – even sponsors – gravitate to the best drivers," he added.
Lewis Hamilton's ally Loic Serra, who served as Performance Director at Mercedes, is already set to join Ferrari in 2025. His race engineer Peter Bonnington's future with Mercedes is also up for discussion following the star driver's exit.
Ferrari emerges as a big winner from the trade, as Charles Leclerc gears up to face off against the best in the business.
Ferrari heir talks about team dynamic between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton will be joining forces with Charles Leclerc, dubbed as "il Predestinato" (The Predestined). Leclerc recently signed a long-term extension deal with the team.
There are many question marks over how Hamilton's arrival at the Scuderia will affect the team dynamic, as the Italian team is grooming Leclerc to be their future champion. However, Piero Ferrari, son of Enzo Ferrari, expects no fights between the two drivers. He told Italian journalist Leo Turrini:
“Charles is the champion of the future, Ferrari believes in him and has proved it, I think. Hamilton is Hamilton. I don’t see why they should fight.”
If the Maranello-based squad delivers a car capable of fighting for a championship, the prospect of a title battle between the two will undoubtedly be enticing for fans.
