Scuderia Ferrari is legendary within Formula One, possessing a heritage few can match. However, the sport's most decorated team has struggled to reclaim the top spot for 16 years, with 2008 being their last championship year. Entering the 2024 season, Ferrari is certainly in the mix for the title, but Red Bull Racing remains the giant to slay. Outperforming Red Bull over the course of an entire year is an immense challenge; they are nearly flawless, and overcoming the clinical precision of Max Verstappen will require nothing short of a miracle from the competing teams.
Scuderia Ferrari is one of the most recognized Formula One teams, having a long and healthy history. However, the sport’s most successful team has not won a championship title in the last 16 years, with the most recent win coming in 2008. Although the new season has begun, Ferrari is one of the top contenders for the 2024 title, and Red Bull Racing remains the most formidable opponent. At the moment, beating Red Bull across a season is a major challenge; they may lose one or two races, but taking the title away from Max Verstappen, who is as merciless as ever, will require a massive effort from other teams.
To change their fortunes, Ferrari has recruited the legendary Lewis Hamilton, though the seven-time champion only joins the ranks in 2025. This means the future lineup will consist of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, marking the end of Carlos Sainz's tenure. The big question for next year is whether Ferrari will establish a clear hierarchy between their two stars. In the meantime, the current duo of Leclerc and Sainz is entering their final chapter together, which has already started with some drama, as Sainz managed to finish ahead of Leclerc despite starting further back on the grid.
During the Bahrain Grand Prix, Sainz showed great pace, overtaking Leclerc twice to secure a podium spot alongside the Red Bull duo. This internal competition creates a complex situation for Scuderia, made even more stressful by the immense prestige and scrutiny that follow the Ferrari brand. In such a high-pressure environment, having a clear lead driver is often essential to manage the expectations and external noise.
Especially at Ferrari, you really need a first driver, because you have to deal with more pressure.
Legendary driver Alain Prost recently noted that F1 involves a great deal of behind-the-scenes politics that often go unnoticed or misunderstood. He explained that when a team is genuinely fighting for a world title, having a clear number-one driver makes the strategy much more efficient. While a hierarchy might be unnecessary for teams not in contention, it becomes vital when the championship is within reach—something we may see play out with the Hamilton and Leclerc pairing next year, Prost added.
Prost concluded that while the lack of a designated lead driver is better for the spectacle of the sport, it will be a management nightmare for Ferrari. The prospect of Hamilton and Leclerc sharing a garage sets the stage for one of the most intense internal battles in the history of 2025.