Lewis Hamilton is simply weeks away from making his official debut as a Ferrari driver at the Australian Grand Prix, a second that has been over a 12 months within the making since he introduced his shock departure from Mercedes forward of the 2024 season. Ferrari finds itself within the strongest place it has been in for a while, with a real likelihood at difficult for the drivers’ championship this season.
For the primary time in years, the Scuderia boasts a star-studded lineup, with Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, becoming a member of forces with the proficient Charles Leclerc, a two-time Italian Grand Prix winner. This pairing has generated immense pleasure amongst Ferrari followers, because the staff seems to capitalize on their strengthened roster.
Nevertheless, Anthony Davidson has cautioned Hamilton in regards to the problem that lies forward as he adapts to Ferrari’s energy unit, marking the primary time in his illustrious 18-year Components 1 profession that he is not going to be behind the wheel of a Mercedes-powered automobile. The British driver might want to alter to the distinctive traits of Ferrari’s engine, together with its drivability and energy supply, which can undoubtedly be a big change for Hamilton.
As Hamilton will get to grips together with his new staff and automobile, it would take a while earlier than he’s totally able to competing on the entrance of the pack persistently. Eddie Jordan has already suggested the Monegasque to capitalize on the early a part of the season to construct a bonus over Hamilton in what is predicted to be a tricky 24-race marketing campaign. The pair will first expertise the SF-25 on the Fiorano circuit on February 19, simply at some point after the F175 dwell present in London’s O2 Enviornment, which can mark Ferrari’s official launch occasion for the brand new automobile.
Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes that the British driver’s arrival on the Maranello staff has led the staff to shift their focus, and that the precedence could now not be solely on Charles Leclerc. The previous Williams driver means that the staff’s technique and strategy might now be tailor-made round Lewis Hamilton’s strengths and expertise, probably altering the dynamic throughout the staff as they put together for the challenges of the 2025 season.
Juan Pablo Montoya urged that the state of affairs at Ferrari might develop into considerably awkward, given how all the things would unfold. The Colombian racing driver, who competed in Components One from 2001 to 2006, identified that the staff had at all times prioritized Charles’ success, however now they’d be focusing closely on guaranteeing Lewis performs nicely. He additionally expressed the view that it wouldn’t make sense for Ferrari to rent Lewis Hamilton, conduct exams, after which focus extra on Charles’ wants than on what the staff really requires.
Throughout Ferrari’s Pirelli tyre check at Barcelona, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc resumed motion after Hamilton’s crash earlier within the session. Each drivers gathered worthwhile knowledge on Pirelli’s 2026 tyres, contributing to the staff’s preparations for the upcoming season.
McLaren additionally participated within the testing, with Lando Norris taking to the monitor in an older automobile. Norris accomplished a formidable 159 laps, setting a benchmark that was greater than seven-tenths quicker than the very best instances set by Hamilton and Leclerc. Nevertheless, the context behind these lap instances is necessary, because the testing situations and different variables might have performed a big function.
What stood out extra was the slight benefit Hamilton had over Leclerc, managing to set a time simply over one-tenth faster regardless of each drivers finishing practically the identical variety of laps (87 for Lewis Hamilton and 86 for Charles Leclerc). This consequence is a promising indicator as Ferrari seems forward to the pre-season check in Bahrain’s Sakhir circuit, which is simply two weeks away. The staff is raring to make a powerful begin with their revamped automobile, which has undergone important adjustments over the winter break.
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