Apr.1 (GMM) Ferrari finds itself beneath “huge strain” in 2025, based on former Haas crew boss Gunther Steiner.
Though he gained the Shanghai dash from pole, seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton is simply ninth general within the standings to date – albeit forward of teammate Charles Leclerc.
However off the again of all of the pre-season hype, actuality hit Ferrari laborious in China when each Hamilton and Leclerc had been disqualified – for separate technical infringements.
“The crew is beneath huge strain, primarily due to Lewis,” Steiner advised Pace Week. “No matter occurs, he’s the centre of consideration.
“However after they signed him, Ferrari will need to have recognized what they had been stepping into.”
Financially, signing Hamilton could be very a lot paying off for the fabled Maranello marque, with Puma reporting an unimaginable eight-fold improve in merchandise gross sales in comparison with the identical interval a yr in the past.
“A big portion of this income goes immediately again to Ferrari by way of licensing charges,” defined Auto Motor und Sport’s Tobias Gruner. “This seemingly recoups a good portion of the motive force’s wage, estimated at over 50 million euros.”
Steiner says the identical type of impact is occurring at Mercedes – in reverse.
“Even with out Hamilton, Mercedes is performing effectively,” he stated, “however now the drivers are virtually invisible to the general public. The press is way more considering Ferrari and Hamilton than Mercedes, though Mercedes is at the moment performing higher.
“All this as soon as once more speaks of the magnetic attraction of Hamilton’s character, which stands out even in opposition to the overall background of Ferrari.”
Italian former racing driver Davide Valsecchi, now a tv pundit, echoed that sentiment to Corriere dello Sport newspaper: “Everyone seems to be speaking about Lewis – his ardour for pizza or his Gianni Agnelli-style jackets.
“However that places Charles beneath a lot much less strain, as he’s now not thought-about the chosen one among future. However within the second half of final season, he carried out extra constantly than ever.
“If I had been a betting man,” Valsecchi added, “I’d say the present breakdown is (Lando) Norris, Leclerc, (Max) Verstappen after which Hamilton.”
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