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Apr.1 (GMM) Ferrari finds itself under “enormous pressure” in 2025, according to former Haas team boss Gunther Steiner.
Although he won the Shanghai sprint from pole, seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton is just ninth overall in the standings so far – albeit ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc.
But off the back of all the pre-season hype, reality hit Ferrari hard in China when both Hamilton and Leclerc were disqualified – for separate technical infringements.
“The team is under enormous pressure, mainly because of Lewis,” Steiner told Speed Week. “Whatever happens, he is the centre of attention.
“But when they signed him, Ferrari must have known what they were getting into.”
Financially, signing Hamilton is very much paying off for the fabled Maranello marque, with Puma reporting an incredible eight-fold increase in merchandise sales compared to the same period a year ago.
“A large portion of this revenue goes directly back to Ferrari via licensing fees,” explained Auto Motor und Sport’s Tobias Gruner. “This likely recoups a significant portion of the driver’s salary, estimated at over 50 million euros.”
Steiner says the same sort of effect is happening at Mercedes – in reverse.
“Even without Hamilton, Mercedes is performing well,” he said, “but now the drivers are almost invisible to the public. The press is much more interested in Ferrari and Hamilton than Mercedes, although Mercedes is currently performing better.
“All this once again speaks of the magnetic attraction of Hamilton’s personality, which stands out even against the general background of Ferrari.”
Italian former racing driver Davide Valsecchi, now a television pundit, echoed that sentiment to Corriere dello Sport newspaper: “Everyone is talking about Lewis – his passion for pizza or his Gianni Agnelli-style jackets.
“But that puts Charles under much less pressure, as he is no longer considered the chosen one of destiny. But in the second half of last season, he performed more consistently than ever.
“If I were a betting man,” Valsecchi added, “I’d say the current breakdown is (Lando) Norris, Leclerc, (Max) Verstappen and then Hamilton.”
