F1 Insider Backs Lewis Hamilton To Win His Eighth Championship Title This Year - Here's Why

Lewis Hamilton has been backed by Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft to secure his eighth F1 title this year, which he anticipates is the 40-year-old driver's and Ferrari's best chance to create history. Croft listed reasons suggesting that the Maranello outfit will be pushing hard this season for a championship victory, while other teams will be diverting a good amount of resources to the development of their 2026 car.
The seven-time world champion's Ferrari arrival on January 20 was met with a huge response from fans and the media, an event that even surprised Piero Ferrari, the son of the team's founder, Enzo Ferrari. Amid the growing popularity and the fact that Ferrari now has an F1 icon in its driver lineup, the outfit is expected to go to great lengths to prove that Hamilton's signing was the right choice.
Croft also claimed that Ferrari will introduce several upgrades throughout the season to gain a competitive edge, something he predicts other teams won't pursue extensively as they shift focus to the 2026 season. As a result, Ferrari could have an upper hand this season, which Hamilton could capitalize on to secure his record-breaking championship title. The Sky F1 presenter believes Hamilton's chances of securing a championship are higher this year, considering the grid reset in 2026 that makes it hard to predict who will be winning. He said:
"I honestly don't know.
"What I would say is this [2025] might be Lewis' best chance of an eighth world title, given the season that it could be.
"In terms of teams won't be throwing developments week after week after week, because they've got 2026 to think about.
"I do think Ferrari will be the most keen to get the most out of 2025 of the big four teams, because it's A, so long since they won something, B, they want to prove that Lewis is the right man and or Charles as well."
He added:
"Charles is homegrown, Lewis has been drafted in and I think they will push it harder in terms of the developments.
"So whether he wins an eighth title or not, I can't say on that one, but I do think it's probably his best chance, because then 2026 we reset, we rewrite the rules, and it would get that much harder, given the changes that are coming up."
Ferrari finished second in the Constructors' Championship last year, missing out on a win to McLaren by just 14 points. Consequently, it is expected to be one of the favorites this season.