Schumacher: Lewis will try to become Ferrari’s number 1 driver

On the one hand, Lewis Hamilton’s upcoming switch to Ferrari has already attracted extra attention in Formula 1, and it will be talked about for a long time to come. On the other hand, not all consequences of such a decision can be predicted, so there is no answer yet to the question: what influence will this have on the atmosphere within the Italian team?

One thing is clear: this atmosphere will inevitably change and become less comfortable for Charles Leclerc. He had a completely harmonious working relationship with Carlos Sainz, but how will he deal with his new partner, the seven-time world champion?

Everyone has their own ambitions, and confrontations within teams, when taken to extremes, often lead to a breakdown of harmony, and there are many such examples in history. Ralf Schumacher, former Formula 1 driver and now expert at television channel Sky Deutschland, gave his opinion on this.

“If Hamilton goes to Ferrari, he will try to become the team’s No. 1 driver,” said Ralph, whose older brother was the Scuderia’s dominant driver. – But I think he will have to fight for such a status, because Leclerc has been playing there for a long time. Ferrari has faced similar situations in the past where one of its drivers was given priority status, and this was not well received by everyone.

But the most important thing is this: what are the preferences of these riders? Lewis needs a car that is stable, while Charles can handle unstable cars, so we’ll see which one comes out on top.

But the 2024 season promises to be very difficult for both Ferrari and Mercedes. Both teams have riders who are capable of competing for the championship title, but they must meet all the conditions to do so. And Mercedes will now try to support George Russell to a greater extent, I have no doubt about that.”

According to Ralph, he fully understands Hamilton’s desire to link the next stage of his career to Ferrari: “At first his decision caused general surprise, although in fact it is understandable. Lewis is all about winning at all costs and I think his confidence in Mercedes has been shaken over the last two years. The last two years have been very difficult for him.”