Lewis Hamilton arrived in Maranello on Monday morning. Your entire Ferrari F1 workforce welcomed him with open arms, giving him a reception worthy of a Member of the British Empire. That is exactly the title that the Briton was awarded by Queen Elizabeth herself a number of years in the past. It’s no small honor. Sir Lewis is probably the most profitable driver within the historical past of System 1, an indisputable fact. His expertise has taken him to victory on each observe on this planet. Now, at 40 years previous, it’s time to enter the realm of legends. To do that, there was just one possibility: to drive for Ferrari.
The Englishman left behind a “secure spot” the place he might have completed his profession comfortably. He had nothing extra to show. As an alternative, pushed by a predatory intuition and childhood desires, the British driver needed to face the ultimate problem of his profession. Successful with Ferrari has a distinct taste. If, as all supporters of the Prancing Horse count on, he manages to deliver the championship again to Maranello, he’ll grow to be a residing legend. The primary strategy happened in current days: a go to to the manufacturing facility, simulator classes, and a shakedown on the observe with the 2023 season automobile.
Lewis Hamilton was capable of check the Brembo brakes, on which he expressed a really constructive opinion. Due to Italian expertise, the aim is to unravel the qualifying issues he confronted final season, when, with Mercedes, he used Carbon Industries brakes throughout braking. There was additionally the primary shut encounter with the PU 066/12. A form of lesson to learn to greatest use the Italian energy unit. Attaining the proper “handbook reminiscence” to totally exploit the ability unit with its numerous controls is not going to be straightforward. He’s additionally engaged on this within the simulator.
The Ferrari SF-23 single-seater wasn’t a terrific automobile. Undoubtedly the weakest one produced within the wing automobile period. Nevertheless, driving it was implausible for Lewis Hamilton. Clearly excited, the Briton accomplished a decreased work program. About thirty laps the place he grew to become aware of the varied controls and, on the identical time, began to get to know the Maranello workforce’s working methodology. Though it’s at all times essential to get on observe, subsequent week on the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, as we had beforehand anticipated, Lewis Hamilton will face a considerably extra demanding check.
He’ll have extra time to give attention to the work to be carried out. Charles Leclerc may even be current with him. One other fascinating element issues the check organized by Pirelli for the 2026 tires. The Worldwide Federation is nicely conscious of how sophisticated it’s for the Italian tire producer to work on the brand new era of tires with no automobile regulated by the upcoming algorithm. That’s why they’ll permit groups to make use of a modified 2024 automobile for this event. The seven-time F1 world champion will thus drive the Ferrari SF-24 in February.
That is the automobile that allowed Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to battle for the constructors’ title till the final System 1 Grand Prix on the 5.281-kilometre Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. A extremely good automobile, the premise for the automobile that will probably be unveiled on January nineteenth by way of broadcast, after which seen on observe at Fiorano for the primary pre-season run. The anticipation is sort of excessive, there’s no denying it, as a result of testing the SF-24 will present the primary essential suggestions for Lewis Hamilton, waiting for the 2025 System 1 championship. In the meantime, nonetheless, the check earlier automobile programme will begin subsequent Tuesday on the Catalan observe, the place Lewis Hamilton’s chemistry with the pink automobile will proceed to develop.
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