Former Formula 1 driver Vitantonio Liuzzi believes we could see a “healthy clash” between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, pushing them up through the gears to take on Red Bull.
While preparations are now in full flow for the F1 2024 campaign ahead, already there is a huge sense of excitement for the following season, with Hamilton’s move to Ferrari for 2025 confirmed.
That will see him partner Leclerc, a champion in waiting in the eyes of many, creating an eagerly-anticipated driver duo to battle it out in Ferrari red.
‘Healthy’ competition between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc?
Exactly how Hamilton and Leclerc will co-exist remains to be seen, considering Leclerc has long since been seen as the Ferrari poster boy to lead them back to title-winning ways.
But now, he will have the “racing animal” Hamilton, as Liuzzi describes the Briton, to go up against, with Hamilton chasing a record-breaking eighth World Championship.
Speaking on Cusano News 7’s ‘A Tutto Sport’, Liuzzi said: “Lewis has shown that he is still a racing animal, a driver who leaves nothing to chance, who pushes to the last on the track.
“It is an important choice by Ferrari, he will not give up until he reaches this eighth title.
“A wise move by Ferrari not only economically, but it is difficult to make predictions. Predicting the future today is difficult, but the move is a good one and underlines that Ferrari wants to get back to winning.”
It may seem as though the ingredients are there for a fiery rivalry, but Liuzzi instead can foresee a “healthy clash” between Hamilton and Leclerc, which could give Ferrari the boost they need to challenge Red Bull, the dominant force of F1’s ground effect era.
“It is always better to see a clash between two drivers fighting for the title than when fighting for other steps on the podium,” he said of the potential Hamilton-Leclerc dynamic.
“It can be a healthy clash, but it can also be an incentive to push yourself to the limit, which is necessary to beat a superior Red Bull.”
