Lewis Hamilton under immediate pressure as Ferrari team orders stance uncovered

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Lewis Hamilton under immediate pressure as Ferrari team orders stance uncovered

Lewis Hamilton is under pressure to make a fast start to life at Ferrari amid reports that Fred Vasseur could implement team orders after the first few races of F1 2025.

With Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes and Constructors’ champions McLaren all winning multiple races last year, F1 2025 is set to be the most competitive season for some tim

Lewis Hamilton at risk of early Ferrari team orders decision
This year will mark the final season of the current regulations before the sweeping rule changes for F1 2026, which will see the sport embrace 50 per cent electrification, fully sustainable fuels and active aerodynamics, with a number of drivers expected to compete for the title.

Hamilton is currently gearing up for his first season as a Ferrari driver, having arrived at Maranello from Mercedes over the winter.

The seven-time World Champion received a warm reception upon his first official visit to the team’s factory last week, but his preparations for the new season suffered a setback on Wednesday when he crashed in testing in Barcelona.

Analysis: Lewis Hamilton joins Ferrari from Mercedes for F1 2025

Hamilton and Leclerc form a star-studded driver lineup for Ferrari, with the most decorated driver in F1 history partnering the man widely regarded as the fastest on the current grid.

Despite returning to winning ways with victories in Britain and Belgium, Hamilton endured one of the most challenging years of his career in 2024 as he was heavily beaten by team-mate George Russell in qualifying conditions.

Hamilton, who turned 40 earlier this month, conceded at the penultimate race of 2024 in Qatar that he is “not fast anymore.”

And the pressure is reportedly on the seven-time World Champion to make a strong start to his Ferrari career in F1 2025, with the team said to be prepared to impose team orders at an early stage of the season to enhance their title hopes.

A report by respected Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport has claimed that the opening few races ‘could already be decisive in establishing a new hierarchical order’ within the team.

Ferrari are said to be prepared to treat Hamilton and Leclerc as equals at the start of the season with a ‘two-pronged attack’ in store

Hamilton is said to have worked to establish a ‘rapport’ with Leclerc during his final season with Mercedes, reportedly ‘taking advantage of every meeting in the paddock to talk and share his ideas’ for 2025.

Ferrari have had an uncomfortable relationship with team orders over the years, with Rubens Barrichello famously ordered to hand victory to team-mate Michael Schumacher at the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix.

Hamilton’s former McLaren team-mate and two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso found himself at the centre of another Ferrari team orders storm at the 2010 German Grand Prix, where team-mate Felipe Massa was instructed to give way.

McLaren were criticised for failing to implement clear team orders at last year’s Italian Grand Prix, where Oscar Piastri overtook team-mate Lando Norris for the lead on the opening lap.

Piastri’s move set up a race-long battle between the McLaren pair with both eventually losing out to Leclerc, who claimed an emotional win at Monza after pulling off an alternative strategy.

Speaking shortly after being appointed to the role of Ferrari team principal in 2022, Vasseur offered insight into his philosophy regarding team orders, revealing that he would not hesitate to impose rules on Leclerc and Hamilton’s predecessor Carlos Sainz if the circumstances required decisive action.

He said: “There is a clear situation, it’s the same everywhere – we have two very good drivers and both of them are able to do a job.

“We will have the capacity to provide them with the same car, the same structure and the same support.

“What is clear is that the target is to win with Ferrari – and for Ferrari.

“There will be no number one and number two, but if at one stage we have to take action then we will take action.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s for one or the other, but if at one stage in the season we have to do something, then I will do it

Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, recently claimed that Hamilton’s start to F1 2025 will be crucial to his hopes of lifting a historic eighth World Championship at Ferrari.

And he warned that the Scuderia’s lack of a clear lead driver could hurt the team’s title ambitions, with the team’s stance very different to that in place at Red Bull, where reigning four-time World Champion Max Verstappen is regarded as “the most valuable asset.”

He told talkSPORT: “[Hamilton] may well have another resurgence in him.

“He’s an emotional guy. I think it really depends on how things kick off for him at Ferrari.

“Ferrari is a huge brand, with a huge following. If the Tifosi get behind him, and he gets off to a good start, then those qualities are still there.

“He’s still a class competitor. Even though he’s getting older in age, it depends on if that hunger and motivation is going to be rejuvenated by a new challenge and new surroundings in Ferrari.

“[In 2025] you’ve got Ferrari that’ll have Hamilton and Leclerc two very strong drivers; you’ve got Norris and Oscar Piastri at McLaren.

“There’s contradicting aspects [within F1] because, on the one hand, you’ve got the team and the drivers are contractors to the team.

“On the other side, you’ve got the Drivers’ Championship where the interest and the individual interest is. It’s about communication and being up front with the drivers