Ferrari's nightmare – Charles Leclerc quits, Lewis Hamilton retires, Carlos Sainz shines

Ferrari volition boast 1 of the astir enviable operator line-ups successful F1 past erstwhile Lewis Hamilton arrives to spouse Charles Leclerc - but adjacent the best-laid plans sometimes spell wrong

Things person been looking up for Ferrari successful the 2nd fractional of the F1 season.

After 4 podiums successful the past 5 races, Charles Leclerc inactive has a slim accidental of toppling Lando Norris and Max Verstappen astatine the apical of the drivers' championship. And they're good wrong a outcry of claiming the constructors' title.

With seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton replacing Carlos Sainz adjacent year, the aboriginal is looking bright. However, it has done for the Prancing Horse successful the past without materialising arsenic hoped.

A ace squad of Hamilton and Leclerc sounds unstoppable connected paper, but mixing large personalities tin spell 1 mode oregon the other. Here, Mirror Sport looks astatine what the dreaded different could look like.

Hamilton retires early

There's inactive combat successful Hamilton yet, but conscionable however overmuch remains to beryllium seen. He's endured immoderate taxing seasons with Mercedes aft their domination was brought to a halt by Verstappen and Red Bull.

His determination appears to beryllium a much-needed reset and offers a caller changeable astatine surpassing Michael Schumacher's tally of titles. But the clock's ticking - Hamilton volition beryllium 40 by the clip helium steps into a Ferrari seat.

Details astir his declaration person been kept mostly nether wraps, with it simply labelled a multi-year deal. There'll nary uncertainty beryllium an retired successful that if helium wants it, and helium has admitted to the thought of status having crossed his mind.

In an interrogation with Esquire earlier this year, Hamilton explained: “There are days I’m like, 'shoot, I don’t cognize however overmuch longer I tin go'. There are days I’m like, 'shoot, I’d emotion a break' due to the fact that you don’t get a existent large interruption successful the play similar different sports. You’re not truly getting a immense magnitude of downtime.

“But I bash person mentally a program of wherever I would similar to widen to. I’ve conscionable got to strategise and series things. Is determination a clip erstwhile I’m not each in, and I’m conscionable not successful emotion with it anymore?

"That’s the infinitesimal that hopefully ne'er happens, successful the consciousness that I’ve fallen retired of emotion with it. But I volition cognize erstwhile I request to stop. I privation to marque definite I truly max it retired portion I tin and afloat bask this athletics I’ve done my full life.”

Leclerc calls it quits

Leclerc has grown utilized to being Ferrari's poster lad and established No. 1 driver. It's going to beryllium fascinating to spot however Hamilton's accomplishment impacts that.

It's hard to spot the Monagasque playing 2nd fiddle, peculiarly if Ferrari's existent signifier doesn't construe into 2025 and beyond. He's remained diligent with the squad aft countless missteps successful the store implicit the years.

That's casual to bash erstwhile you're apical canine and cognize you'll get prioritised for the improvements. Not truthful casual erstwhile a much experienced operator is your team-mate.

Leclerc has chopped a frustrated fig plentifulness of times this year, including aft their tyre absorption scuppered their qualifying astatine the Singapore Grand Prix past clip out. He was peculiarly downbeat astir their prospects aft the Dutch GP successful August.

"I support repeating myself since rather a fewer months, but we’ve got a batch of enactment to do," helium admitted. "We’re alert arsenic a squad that we person a batch of enactment to do, we’re moving level retired to effort and adjacent that spread [to the beforehand of the field].

“We’ll person upgrades soon connected the car, which I anticipation volition assistance america adjacent that gap, but erstwhile I spot the spread connected a way similar this, I’m not definite it volition beryllium capable to astatine slightest beryllium successful the combat for the win. Small steps aft tiny steps, I anticipation it tin bring america backmost to winning consistently, but again, there’s a batch of work.”

Sainz shines astatine Williams

There's nary questioning that Sainz is simply a top-tier driver. He tin surely consciousness hard done by having been a accordant root of points passim his 3 seasons.

So it truly won't instrumentality a batch for Ferrari to beryllium near with ovum connected their look for letting him go. Gambling connected Hamilton is precocious risk, precocious reward.

If that doesn't wage disconnected and Sainz produces his champion with an ambitious Williams, it'd beryllium the eventual footwear successful the teeth. F1 fable Damon Hill believes helium and Alex Albon could beryllium a lucifer made successful eden for James Vowles, who wants to reconstruct their glory days.

He said: "The dynamic, however it would enactment with Alex. That is besides truly important, putting 2 radical unneurotic who enactment unneurotic successful a squad similar Williams astatine the signifier they are now, you request those guys to enactment together.

“I deliberation they are a cleanable combination. I tin spot these two, they’re some beauteous grown-up individuals and competitory and hard workers. I deliberation they’ll complement each different brilliantly.”

Newey transforms Aston

He didn't privation to determination to Italy. He wanted excessively overmuch money. Whatever excuse Ferrari person for not getting Adrian Newey to motion connected the dotted enactment volition look irrelevant if helium transforms Aston Martin.

Such opportunities don't contiguous themselves precise often. They're the benignant you crook implicit backwards to achieve. And Ferrari fto their self-importance get successful the mode of that.

It's wherefore they've tried and failed to motion him 4 times now. In a fewer years' time, they mightiness beryllium looking backmost astatine that arsenic the crushed for their underperformance yet again.