Hamilton handed early blow in Ferrari F1 fight

Whilst ex-F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes Lewis Hamilton will conquer all before him at Ferrari next season, F1 fans do not have faith in the seven-time drivers’ champion to best his new team-mate.

The Colombian feels that if the Italian team can provide a competitive package, the 39-year-old will “win everything” within a matter of rounds.

However, it is unlikely to be that simple, and a majority of F1 fans feel Hamilton will fail to stack up against Charles Leclerc.

The Monegasque driver is known for his one-lap pace and is considered by many to be the best qualifier in the current F1 field.

Although Hamilton is the all-time record holder of pole positions, at 104, his grid-setting form has left something to be desired since F1 reintroduced ground effects in 2022.

The former McLaren and Mercedes driver has publicly stated he no longer possesses the raw speed required for qualifying and he was comprehensively out-classed in that area by ex-team-mate George Russell last season.

That is the most obvious challenge facing him as he heads to Maranello, and is the likely reason for less that 44% of respondents backing him to beat Leclerc in a recent poll conducted by RacingNews365.

For the full results, please see below. Let us know what you think by leaving a comment.