Lewis Hamilton is on the point of starting a brand new chapter in his illustrious profession, making ready to make his race debut with one of the vital iconic groups in Components 1 historical past as he traces up on the grid for the season opener in Melbourne.
Expectations are excessive as Lewis Hamilton embarks on this problem with Ferrari, a workforce the place reaching what he goals for has not been accomplished in over half a century. His arrival in Maranello carries vital weight, as he makes an attempt to safe a historic eighth world championship—one thing no driver has ever completed.
At 40 years previous, the British driver is defying the traditional age limits of F1 success. If he manages to assert one other title, he won’t solely surpass Michael Schumacher’s long-standing report but additionally turn into the primary driver since Jack Brabham in 1966 to win a championship at this stage of his profession. It’s a feat that might cement his legacy even additional, proving that have and ability can nonetheless conquer youth within the trendy period of Components 1.
With Ferrari exhibiting sturdy competitiveness on the finish of the earlier season, Sky Sports activities commentator and F1 professional David Croft believes that 2025 might current Hamilton along with his greatest alternative to win one other title. The regulation modifications set for 2026 are anticipated to disrupt the present hierarchy, making this season probably the final probability to capitalize on a longtime pecking order earlier than the game undergoes a serious reset.
When discussing whether or not Hamilton faces extra strain to ship, former Dutch racing driver Jeroen Bleekemolen shared his ideas with RacingNews365.nl, explaining why the expectations surrounding Lewis Hamilton differ from these confronted by Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel throughout their time at Ferrari.
Why Lewis Hamilton’s strain differs from Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari struggles
The British driver is set to make sure that his tenure at Ferrari doesn’t mirror these of Vettel and Alonso, each of whom got here shut however in the end did not safe a title with the Scuderia. Whereas each drivers arrived with excessive expectations and immense expertise, they left with out fulfilling their championship ambitions, falling brief regardless of a number of near-misses.
In accordance with Jeroen Bleekemolen, the extent of strain Hamilton faces is essentially totally different. In contrast to Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, who had unfinished enterprise in F1 after they joined the Maranello workforce, Lewis Hamilton has already achieved virtually each report potential within the sport. His legacy is safe, and there’s little left for him to show. As a substitute of preventing for validation, Lewis Hamilton’s transfer to Ferrari is about chasing an bold remaining problem—one which, if profitable, would solely additional solidify his place within the historical past books slightly than outline his profession.
The Dutch skilled racing driver famous that at Ferrari, the strain is all the time immense, because the workforce faces extreme criticism in the event that they fail to supply a aggressive automotive. He identified that even with Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, the workforce was unable to safe a championship, and regardless of Alonso coming shut twice, his time at Ferrari was in the end considered a failure.
He went on to clarify that Hamilton now not must show something, as he’s presently the best driver within the sport. In accordance with Jeroen Bleekemolen, the one driver who might probably problem Hamilton’s legacy is Max Verstappen. He steered that even when Hamilton had a poor season and determined to go away Components 1, his standing as the best of all time would stay intact. Nevertheless, he additionally believed that whereas Hamilton ought to keep away from placing an excessive amount of strain on himself, his sturdy motivation might make him unwilling to accept something lower than victory, with second place prone to frustrate him.
The important thing statistic that might solidify Lewis Hamilton’s place among the many best drivers in F1 historical past
The Italian aspect will characterize the primary occasion in Hamilton’s illustrious F1 profession the place he competes with a workforce powered by an engine aside from Mercedes. Having debuted in 2007 with McLaren, which utilized V8 engines, Hamilton’s affiliation with Mercedes has been a defining characteristic of his profession.
It’s typically mentioned {that a} true F1 nice is measured by their adaptability and their capacity to safe a number of world championships with totally different groups. It is a feat Juan Manuel Fangio exemplified along with his 5 titles throughout numerous producers.
Though Lewis Hamilton has already clinched championships with two totally different groups, successful with a 3rd engine provider, notably one as famend as Ferrari, would undoubtedly cement his standing amongst F1’s all-time greats.
One potential situation that might lead Hamilton to retire sooner than anticipated is that if Ferrari struggles to be aggressive all through the season. Nevertheless, it appears probably that Ferrari might supply him a legit shot at capturing his first championship since 2021, preserving his championship aspirations alive.
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