Why former Ferrari engineer expects Lewis Hamilton to beat Charles Leclerc in 2024

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Lewis Hamilton will take on Charles Leclerc next year in one of the most hotly-anticipated teammate battles in F1’s recent history. Leclerc has known since the winter that he’d be taking on the seven-time world champion in 2025.

Hamilton has already faced some legendary drivers during his career, including Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg. But one could argue that, in terms of raw speed, Leclerc edges all of them.

He’s scored 26 pole positions, four fewer than Rosberg, but never had the luxury of a dominant car as the German did for three years at Mercedes. Esteban Ocon believes only Max Verstappen can rival Leclerc’s natural talent.

His mighty one-lap pace could pose an issue for Hamilton, who has struggled more than ever in qualifying in 2024. He lost the head-to-head to George Russell with seven races to spare.

Hamilton struggles to switch on the tyres, so his Saturday woes may not point to declining speed. But Leclerc is clearly a specialist when it comes to preparing the rubber.

However, the 26-year-old has been accused of lacking ruthlessness, a problem that 350-race veteran Hamilton could highlight. One pundit says Leclerc is ‘too nice’ to survive their duel.

Rob Smedley thinks Lewis Hamilton’s ‘mental strength’ will be key against Charles Leclerc

Rob Smedley was Felipe Massa’s race engineer at Ferrari during his intense rivalry with Hamilton in the late noughties. The British driver made his F1 debut in 2007 with McLaren and immediately competed for the championship.

He missed out to Kimi Raikkonen in his rookie year but denied Massa in extraordinary fashion a year later. The Brazilian thought he’d taken the title in the season finale on home soil, only for Hamilton to make a last-corner move on Timo Glock that kept him ahead.

Speaking on the Formula For Success podcast, Smedley offered his verdict on the Hamilton/Leclerc partnership. While the 105-time race-winner won’t underestimate his new teammate, he should be able to beat him.

It’s inevitable that his level will drop eventually, but Smedley thinks he’s still in a physical and mental place to defeat Leclerc. He will have to do so if he’s to win a record-breaking eighth world championship.

Smedley said: “I think that Lewis is a true professional. I think he knows how good Charles is. But he will also back himself to beat him over 24 races.

Asked by Eddie Jordan if he’d do so, he replied: “I think he will. I think he will. I think there’ll come a point when he won’t be able to do that anymore. But it’s certainly not now. I mean the guy’s so fit. He’s so mentally strong.”

Lewis Hamilton copying what Michael Schumacher did before he joins Ferrari

Lando Norris mocked Hamilton after he displayed signs of heatstroke following the Singapore Grand Prix. Norris implied that Mercedes were exaggerating the severity of the issue.

Singapore is one of the most demanding races of the year, but there shouldn’t be any physical concerns about Hamilton. Russell, 13 years his junior, suffered with the same symptoms, suggesting the Mercedes cockpit may have been especially hot.

Hamilton will bid farewell to the Brackley outfit in just six races’ time. He’s bound to be emotional in Abu Dhabi given that he’s won 84 races with the team over the past 11 years.

But equally, he’s starting to shift his focus towards Ferrari. Hamilton is already taking Italian lessons, emulating the steps that helped Michael Schumacher make history at Maranello.