Marc Gene hails Ferrari’s Hamilton/Leclerc line-up as the ‘best’ in F1 – but admits he felt ‘sorry’ for Sainz

Ex-Formula 1 driver Marc Gene reckons Ferrari boast the strongest line-up in the sport with their 2025 pairing, having highlighted how well Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are working together and “pushing each other”.

Seven-time World Champion Hamilton completed his headline-making switch from Mercedes to the Scuderia over the winter to team up with long-time Ferrari protégé and multiple race winner Charles Leclerc – forming an all-star driver duo.

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While results have been mixed for Hamilton and the Italian outfit so far, Ferrari ambassador Gene is seeing plenty of positives behind the scenes and the potential for much more when improvements are made to the SF-25 package.

“It’s the best,” Gene said of Ferrari’s new driver partnership in a recent appearance on the Beyond The Grid podcast. “I don’t think you can have a better line-up.”

Referencing Leclerc’s previous stints alongside Carlos Sainz and four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel, Gene continued: “Charles is at a very good point in his career – he’s matured so much.

READ MORE: ‘I’m 2000% behind him’ – Vasseur backs Hamilton amid early Ferrari struggles as he insists ‘potential is there’

“Being the team mate of Carlos, who’s also very diligent, technically very good, very organised, worked so hard… being the team mate of Seb… Charles has been very lucky to have two such good team mates.

“Therefore, now even having Lewis as a team mate, they work very well [together]. They are not political. I can really tell that they work very well [together], and they are pushing each other.”

Gene also touched on the emotions around fellow Spaniard Sainz having to make way for Hamilton after four memorable and increasingly competitive seasons at Ferrari.

“Of course, I was sorry for Carlos, because I’m Spanish and I have a very good relationship with him,” he said. “But when you have the opportunity to have Lewis in the team, and it was a love affair, a mutual love affair, you understand the decision that Ferrari took.”

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Ferrari sit fourth in the Teams’ Championship after the opening five rounds of the season on 78 points, 110 away from leaders McLaren, while Leclerc is fifth in the Drivers’ Standings on 47 points, with Hamilton in seventh on 31.

Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur recently stated that he remains “2000% behind” Hamilton after the Briton’s Sprint triumph in China was followed by a string of more challenging weekends.