Scuderia Ferrari has made a significant driver change ahead of the final Formula 1 weekend of the 2025 season, confirming that Lewis Hamilton will be replaced for the first practice session at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Leclerc Steps In for Mandatory Rookie Run
The seven-time world champion will hand over the cockpit of his SF-25 to development driver Arthur Leclerc for the opening practice at the Yas Marina Circuit. The 25-year-old, younger brother of Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, is fulfilling a mandatory requirement for the team.
F1 regulations stipulate that each squad must field a rookie driver in two first practice sessions throughout the season. This move ensures Ferrari meets that obligation. Arthur Leclerc is familiar with the procedure, having partnered his brother in the same session during the previous year's Abu Dhabi event.
Despite leaving the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2023, Leclerc has remained with the Italian marque as a development driver. This season, he has balanced that role with a racing campaign for AF Corse in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup.
Hamilton's Difficult Season Amid Championship Showdown
Hamilton is scheduled to return to his car for the second practice session, which is considered the most representative running ahead of qualifying and the race. His temporary benching comes at the end of a challenging year for the British icon.
While the 2025 campaign concludes with a thrilling three-way showdown for the drivers' championship, Hamilton and Ferrari have been absent from that fight. The veteran has secured 18 top-ten finishes but has notably failed to ascend the podium a single time.
The disappointing run of form has sparked debate about his future. Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher publicly suggested after the recent Qatar Grand Prix that Hamilton should consider retirement.
Retirement Calls and Hamilton's Defiant Response
"Lewis Hamilton is, of course, a seven-time world champion, but that doesn't matter if the performance isn't right," Schumacher told Sky Deutschland. He pointed to Hamilton's visible frustration and suggested the driver had reached his limit.
Schumacher argued that if the final two races follow the same pattern, Hamilton should "make way for someone who still has their whole future ahead of them." He described a driver struggling for harmony in the car and lacking the feel-good factor necessary for optimum performance.
However, Hamilton has firmly dismissed any notion of stepping away. Speaking in Qatar, he expressed optimism for the new generation of car regulations, criticising the current design. "This has been the worst-designed one that I remember in my phase," he stated, citing issues with bouncing, stiffness, and a lack of overtaking opportunities.
The final round of the 2025 Formula 1 season takes place this weekend at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where a new world champion will be crowned, but the spotlight also remains firmly on the future of one of the sport's most decorated stars.
