Lewis Hamilton could be a “real factor” in the title fight this season, according to Christian Horner, but the Red Bull team principal believes “so much will depend on how he gels” with Ferrari early on.
Hamilton made the switch to the Scuderia after 12 seasons with Mercedes, and has taken in his first running in their new challenger, the SF-25, at Fiorano ahead of pre-season testing in Bahrain.
Lewis Hamilton could be ‘real contender’ in F1 2025 season if he ‘gels’ with Ferrari – Horner
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher and Sam Cooper
Hamilton’s most famous title battle with Red Bull came in the dramatic 2021 season as a Mercedes driver, but this year he heads to pastures new at Ferrari as he sets about trying to win a record eighth World Championship.
With a competitive team-mate in Charles Leclerc and several tight battles predicted at the front of the field, including the reigning World Champion in Max Verstappen to contend with, Horner believes Hamilton could put himself back at the forefront once again this year, after two victories in the past three seasons with Mercedes.
“I think that if he gets off to a good start and he gets the team behind him, and he finds his confidence, and he rides off that energy, then I can see him becoming a real contender in this championship – but I think so much will depend on how he gels with the team in that early part of the season,” Horner explained to media including PlanetF1.com.
“We all know what Lewis is capable of, and if he’s re-energised in a different environment, absolutely, I think he could be a real factor this year.”
Verstappen added that much of Hamilton’s success will depend on the machinery that is underneath him – given the talent of the seven-time champion has “no debate” attached.
“It all depends on the car, right?” Verstappen said when asked about whether or not Hamilton could be a contender in 2025.
“I mean, we all know how good Lewis is. There’s no debate on that, right? So it just all depends on the car.”
When asked if he was looking forward to potentially renewing his rivalry with the Briton this year, the Red Bull driver replied:
“Yeah, but that’s with anyone, right? I think when you’re fighting for wins, that’s always really nice.”
As for the reigning Constructors’ champions, McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes all four front-running teams will be in the mix for race victories at different points in the upcoming season.
But when it comes to the former McLaren driver, though, he is forecasting Hamilton to be in the conversation for the title fight as well.
“Yeah, definitely anticipating Lewis being a championship contender,” Brown told media including PlanetF1.com.
“I think we and Ferrari ended last year nothing between us, I think that’ll continue. Mercedes were very close, and they still won four or five races, so I put them in there.
“And of course, Red Bull, super strong first half of the year, little bit less strong middle of the year, and then ended very strong. So I don’t think there’s going to be anything between it with those four teams.”
Three days of pre-season testing are set to get underway in Bahrain on Wednesday, before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix weekend from 14-16 March.
