Luca di Montezemolo worked with some of the greatest F1 drivers of all time during his time in charge of Ferrari, and he is very clear about who “the best” on the 2025 grid is.
The Italian enjoyed a 40-year spell at the Scuderia, including 23 as the president, which also saw Ferrari win the F1 drivers’ championship nine times and claim 14 constructors’ titles. He left Maranello during the 2014 F1 season, and is still yet to see Ferrari add to their triumphs.
Kimi Raikkonen won Ferrari’s last drivers’ title under Di Montezemolo in 2007, following the five titles Michael Schumacher won, two titles Niki Lauda earned and Jody Scheckter’s 1979 crown. Di Montezemolo also once said that Ayrton Senna told him he wanted to join Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have the task of trying to deliver a championship back to Maranello today, with the pair under contract to Ferrari through the 2026 and 2029 seasons respectively. Hamilton can extend his Ferrari contract into 2027 owing to a clause in his deal.
Ferrari legend Luca di Montezemolo feels Max Verstappen is ‘by far the best’ F1 driver
But Di Montezemolo has disregarded Hamilton while naming Red Bull racer Max Verstappen as “the best” driver on the 2025 F1 grid, despite praising the Briton’s predecessor at Ferrari, Carlos Sainz. He believes Sainz and Leclerc gave the Scuderia a “very good” driver line-up.
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| DRIVER | TITLES | GRAND PRIX STARTS | WINS | POLES | PODIUMS |
| Lewis Hamilton | 7 | 373 | 105 | 104 | 202 |
| Max Verstappen | 4 | 226 | 67 | 46 | 120 |
| Charles Leclerc | 0 | 164 | 8 | 27 | 48 |
| Carlos Sainz | 0 | 222 | 4 | 6 | 28 |
Sainz spent four terms in Maranello from 2021 to 2024, and he even remains the last driver to win a Grand Prix for Ferrari with his victory in last year’s Mexico City GP. But there is “no question” for Di Montezemolo that Verstappen stands head and shoulders above his rivals.
Verstappen’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory from pole position last Sunday also emphasised to Di Montezemolo why the four-time reigning F1 champion is the best driver. The 27-year-old kept his cool in qualifying as Leclerc and Oscar Piastri crashed, and dominated the race.
Di Montezemolo said, via quotes by Reuters: “Today, I have to say, for me, Verstappen is by far the number one. Even in the last race in Baku, difficult conditions, he never lost control. He was always quick. He never makes mistakes.
“Sainz and Leclerc were a very good couple [for Ferrari]. But no question, Verstappen is by far the best, in my view, by far.”
Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen could be teammates at Ferrari in the 2027 F1 season
Hamilton joined Ferrari for the 2025 F1 season on an initial two-year contract in the hope of reviving his career after a few disappointing campaigns with Mercedes. But his life in red has not been the dream the Briton pictured and Ferrari’s hopes now go to F1’s 2026 regulations.
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Becoming a Ferrari driver was the realisation of Hamilton’s childhood dream. But he has lost to Leclerc in 13 of their 17 qualifying sessions as teammates and in 12 Grands Prix (excluding China and the Netherlands). The 40-year-old’s plight has raised questions about his future.
Should Hamilton retire when his contract expires next year, Di Montezemolo could even see Ferrari sign the driver he regards as “the best” in Verstappen to partner Leclerc in 2027. It is said that Verstappen is waiting to replace Hamilton at Ferrari in 2027, if the prospect arises.
Despite having a contract through the 2028 season, Verstappen can leave Red Bull after the 2026 F1 season if he is not within the top two in the drivers’ standings at the summer break. He had a similar clause for the 2025 summer break, but needed to be outside the top three.