F1 News: Red Bull Sounds Alarm Ahead Of Lewis Hamilton's 2025 Ferrari Move

Saajan Jogia | Nov 7, 2024

Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton walks the track ahead of the drivers' parade at the Formula 1 Pirelli United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Aaron E. Martinez-Imagn Images / Aaron E. Martinez/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner sees Lewis Hamilton as a serious "challenger" in 2025 when he moves to Ferrari after spending 11 years with Mercedes. Considering Ferrari's resurgence this year, where it upped the ante and overtook Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship, Horner remains wary about the next season when the seven-time world champion gets his hands on a fast Ferrari.

Horner's statements bring back memories of an intense 2021 Formula 1 season when Hamilton and Max Verstappen were involved in intense track battles throughout the season, which ultimately led Verstappen to secure his first championship title, under controversial circumstances.

While Red Bull benefitted from total dominance in 2023, where it won 21 out of the 22 Grands Prix, the 2024 season displayed an entirely different picture since teams like McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari managed to enhance close racing in the premier class of motorsport throughout the year thus far.

Mercedes demonstrated promising pace when both Hamilton and George Russell were on a winning spree ahead of the summer break. However, soon after, McLaren caught hold of the reins and managed to surpass Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The period also saw Ferrari challenging the Papaya outfit on multiple occasions, with Charles Leclerc securing three races in the season thus far. Recent wins in Austin and Mexico have put Ferrari within striking distance of the Constructors' Championship lead, now trailing McLaren’s 593 points by just 36, with Ferrari at 557 points.

With Ferrari steadily enhancing the pace of its SF-24, set to evolve into an even faster 2025 car, and boasting a formidable driver lineup in Leclerc and Hamilton, it could become a significant threat to Red Bull. Red Bull recently addressed balance issues with the RB20, culminating in Verstappen’s win at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, but Ferrari's momentum suggests a close battle ahead. Speaking to Talksport about the prospect of Verstappen and Hamilton continuing their 2021 rivalry next year, as quoted by Racingnews365, Horner said:

"He's obviously coming out of a very comfortable environment, one that he knows very well over the last 10 years, more than 10 years. So that'll be a change for him.

"Charles Leclerc is another very fast driver. But Ferrari is a team that looks like they're picking up momentum. For sure, a driver of Lewis' quality is always going to be a challenger.

"He could be just jumping at the right time. He's obviously seen things that he's chosen to change teams for because he believes in the future of Ferrari, so that's going to be fascinating to see how that plays out."