Lewis Hamilton’s headline move to Ferrari is one of the biggest storylines in Formula 1 set to unfold during the 2025 season.
Chasing a record-breaking eighth Drivers’ Championship in red, he will partner Charles Leclerc as they bid to end what will be a 17-year title drought by the end of the campaign.
Hamilton has spent the last few years of his career in a struggling Mercedes car and should have a machine capable of challenging for victories on a more frequent basis now.
Ferrari want to avoid Hamilton’s arrival being a media circus and will conduct a test in private to achieve their running in peace.
They have a lot of work to do together to ensure that the 39-year-old will be ready to perform from lap one of the Australian Grand Prix in March.
McLaren are going to be quick and Red Bull are always in the mix so the onus is on them to put in the hours and make sure that they don’t fall behind the 8 ball early on.
Fred Vasseur wanted to focus on Ferrari’s current performance and not Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur and Hamilton go way back, having worked together before the Brit arrived in Formula 1 with ART in 2006.
Vasseur says Hamilton can only be emotional on his Ferrari debut for one lap before focusing on the task at hand again.
It should be an advantage to them and their partnership that they know each other well, with both sides incredibly eager to make some more history over the coming years.
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Speaking in a video for The Race, Ed Straw discussed the reason why Vasseur was hesitant to answer questions about Hamilton in 2024.
“Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur was particularly careful to shrug off questions about Hamilton during the season,” he said.
“Always one to play his cards close to his chest, Vasseur’s standard reaction was to talk about focusing on the now and Ferrari’s campaign. With Hamilton’s arrival imminent, Vasseur has revealed more about the approach the team will take.”
Are Ferrari the favourite to win everything during the 2025 F1 season?
After ending the season with the second fastest car and second spot in the Constructors’ Championship secured, there’s only one spot further that Ferrari can go now.
They’re going to be competing against McLaren, Red Bull and maybe Mercedes in the final year of the technical regulations in 2025.
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It should mean that competition is tighter than ever as the field attempts to dethrone Max Verstappen as a four-time champion.
Rival boss Christian Horner said Hamilton looked flat at Mercedes this year, so a move away could help reignite his passion again.
That should be a worry for his rivals, who haven’t faced him at the top of his game in a winning car for a while now. They all know how destructive he can be.
With some good improvements over the winter, Ferrari could very much be the favourite after the season opener in Melbourne.
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