David Coulthard tips Lewis Hamilton to face ‘greatest challenge’ in F1 at Ferrari

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David Coulthard thinks Lewis Hamilton could face his ‘greatest challenge’ in Formula 1 when he leaves Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025 as Charles Leclerc is a ‘champion in wait’.

The 39-year-old has decided to terminate his long-time association with the Silver Arrows to move to Maranello next year. Hamilton will vacate their garage following the 2024 season to replace Carlos Sainz. It will also be his first time racing in F1 without a Mercedes power unit.

Hamilton has driven Mercedes-powered cars since he arrived in the pinnacle of motorsport with McLaren in 2007. The Briton was even connected to Mercedes whilst racing go-karts as a kid. But he has now triggered an escape clause in his contract to move to Ferrari next year.

Lewis Hamilton is the most successful Formula 1 driver of all time

Ferrari president John Elkann decided to target Hamilton over giving Sainz a new contract as the Spaniard was already a free agent after 2024. The opportunity to land Hamilton was just too enticing with the seven-time champion the most successful driver in Formula 1’s history.

Only Michael Schumacher has also won seven titles and claimed five with the Scuderia. But Hamilton sits alone in first place for Grand Prix wins (103), pole positions (104) and podium finishes (197). Now, he might secure an eighth crown in Maranello on a multi-year contract.

David Coulthard believes Charles Leclerc is a ‘champion in wait’

But Coulthard doubts Hamilton will have an easy run of things when he races beside Leclerc at Ferrari. The 13-time Grand Prix winner fully believes the 26-year-old has the talent to win an F1 title if given the machinery. He was Max Verstappen’s closest rival for the title in 2022.

“I have to say, I think he will find one of his biggest challenges in Charles Leclerc,” Coulthard said on the Formula for Success podcast. “Charles is a young [and] brilliantly fast race driver.

“Yes, he doesn’t have the world championships and the experience of Lewis. But I think he is a champion in wait. So, that may well be where Lewis finds his greatest challenge.”

Leclerc won the GP3 Series title as a rookie in 2016 before taking the Formula 2 crown in his first season in 2017. The Monegasque then made his Formula 1 debut with Sauber in 2018 and moved to Ferrari in 2019. He even won his first two Grand Prix during the 2019 season.

Today, the Ferrari Driver Academy product sits on five Grand Prix wins and 30 podiums. But he also ranks 14th all-time for pole positions with 23 – although Leclerc has failed to convert his past 12 pole positions into race wins. He last converted a pole at the 2022 Australian GP.