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Helmut Marko points out Ferrari problem that could prevent Lewis Hamilton from winning the title in 2025

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Helmut Marko points out Ferrari problem that could prevent Lewis Hamilton from winning the title in 2025

Lewis Hamilton hopes to immediately compete for the world championship when he joins Ferrari next year. He will be one of the six drivers who will seek to dethrone Max Verstappen.

In theory, as many as eight could be in contention as the field reaches maximum convergence in the final year of the ground effect ruleset. But Verstappen’s red bull His teammate knows he will play a supporting role.

McLaren are favorites to win the constructors’ championship, having entered the Qatar Grand Prix with a 24-point lead over ferrari. That could make the current runner-up, Lando Norris, and the fourth, Oscar Piastri, the favorites for next year, although few would bet against it. Verstappen – even on inferior machinery.

Fifth sprint finisher Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari talks to fourth sprint finisher Carlos Sainz of Spain and Ferrari in the park...
Photo by Mark Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images

Still, Ferrari is close enough to Carlos Leclerc and hamilton He can legitimately aspire to the championship. Only small improvements will be necessary during the winter to be in the fight.

mercedes They are the wild card in this conversation. This year they have been exceptional in very specific conditions, but more often anonymous.

George Russell has driven better than ever in 2024, but he will be alongside a rookie: Kimi Antonelli. Hamilton surely wouldn’t have left the Silver Arrows if he thought he could win the title in Brackley in 2025.

Helmut Marko hopes the battle between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will suit Max Verstappen

talking to TelegraafHelmut Marko outlined a key advantage for Verstappen in his next title defense. He seeks to become the second driver in F1 history to win five consecutive titles after Michael Schumacher (2000-04).

Red Bull started the year with a dominant car, but its performance has been slipping since then. Since the start of the weekend in Austria, they have added 225 points, compared to 314 for Ferrari and 371 for McLaren.

Of course, a lot of that is due to Sergio Pérez’s struggles. But Verstappen was only able to build a dominant cushion this year because Red Bull had an advantage in the early rounds.

Whether Perez maintains his momentum or Red Bull replaces him, Verstappen will remain the dominant points scorer in Milton Keynes. Meanwhile, the McLaren and Ferrari drivers will be so evenly matched that they will surely hinder each other.

“Next year I hope everything will be even more united.” frame saying. “That’s what happens when regulations run out. But I do believe that in Ferrari Hamilton and Leclerc will take points from each other, and in McLaren Norris and Piastri too. At Mercedes we have to wait and see how stable they are.”

Why Lewis Hamilton was emotional at the Qatar Grand Prix

Marko believes Hamilton is an improvement over Carlos Sainz even though he has had problems this year. It seems increasingly likely that for the first time they will be outside the top six of the championship.

It has been particularly poor in one round, with Russell up 17-5 on Saturdays. Hamilton qualified five places below his teammate for the Qatar Sprint Grand Prix.

Russell believes Hamilton needs a fresh start And the 39-year-old can share that opinion. But that doesn’t mean it will be easy to say goodbye.

Indeed, Ted Kravitz says Hamilton got teary in his Qatar GP interviews on Thursday. He was recounting a conversation with engineer Peter Bonnington where he realized he only had about a week left as a Mercedes driver.

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