Not Max Verstappen Or Lewis Hamilton, Ex-F1 World Champion Names This Driver As Favourite For 2025 Title

Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve has backed Lewis Hamilton to cement his place at Ferrari while picking Lando Norris as the favourite for the title ahead of the Formula 1 season opener in Australia this weekend. Hamilton moves to Ferrari after a successful 12-year run at Mercedes where he won six of his seven world titles to date. His teammate will be a much younger yet seasoned Charles Leclerc who has been at Ferrari since 2019. Leclerc enjoyed the status of a lead driver until last season. Will it change with Hamilton's arrival?

"Lewis knows how to cement his position inside a team. He got cut out when Russell joined (Mercedes). I think he had become a little bit complacent with all the easy years with Bottas. And he didn't see it coming," said Villeneuve in a select media interaction arranged by FanCode on Thursday.

"But he goes into Ferrari knowing that it's Leclerc's team and he needs to become the team leader. So I think he will be brutal in that aspect. He knows how to win." Ferrari have not won the drivers' title since 2007 despite being the most storied and popular team on the grid. It can be a tough place to work in, said the 1997 world champion.

"Lewis knows how to move a team forward. It will be interesting because Ferrari is not an easy team. There's a lot of pressure from the fans, from the team. It's a very energetic place, but not an easy place to evolve in. And Leclerc knows it really well. And for Ferrari, it's a win-win situation.

"If they win with Lewis, bingo, amazing. If Leclerc beats Lewis, then they manage to create a star out of Leclerc. So right now, I guess they're just waiting to see what will happen," said Villeneuve.

The performance in pre-season testing indicates that Mclaren are