Ex-Ferrari Boss Backs Hamilton, Hails Leclerc as Future Champion

Former Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene has voiced strong support for the Scuderia's current driver pairing, asserting that Lewis Hamilton remains competitive while backing Charles Leclerc to become a world champion. His comments come after a disappointing 2025 season where Ferrari failed to secure a single race win.

Why it matters:

Arrivabene's perspective carries significant weight given his deep history with Ferrari, having launched Leclerc's career at the team. His public backing of both drivers, amidst a tough season, highlights the internal and external belief in their talent, while also underscoring the critical link between driver performance and having a competitive car—a central challenge for Ferrari.

The details:

• Arrivabene stated that Lewis Hamilton is "still competitive" but emphasized that a driver of his caliber must be given a competitive car to perform at his best, bluntly adding, "If you don't have that, don't hire him."
• He expressed full confidence in Charles Leclerc's championship potential, predicting, "He'll definitely win the championship." Arrivabene, who brought Leclerc to Ferrari in 2019, hopes this title will be achieved with the Scuderia.
• The 2025 season was notably difficult for Ferrari, with the team failing to win a race and securing only seven podium finishes across 24 Grands Prix.
• Arrivabene admitted to being "disappointed like everyone else" with the team's campaign but refrained from judging the current leadership, acknowledging the inherent difficulty of winning in Formula 1.

The big picture:

Arrivabene's assessment touches on the perennial narrative at Maranello: pairing world-class talent with a championship-winning package. His comments reflect a widely held view in the paddock—that both Hamilton and Leclerc possess the skill, but Ferrari's ultimate success hinges on its ability to provide them with a car capable of consistently fighting at the front. The team's focus now shifts entirely to the 2026 regulations as a reset opportunity.

What's next:

All eyes are on Ferrari's development for the 2026 season. The new regulatory era represents a clean slate and a critical chance for the team to build a car that can harness the full potential of its star driver lineup. For Hamilton and Leclerc, the immediate future is about perseverance and extracting maximum performance from the current package while waiting for the technical reset that could define the final chapters of their careers with the Scuderia.