Lewis Hamilton leads a long list of F1 drivers making debuts for new teams at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend. Hamilton’s first outing for Ferrari is one of the most widely-anticipated events in the sport’s history.
Hamilton has replaced Carlos Sainz at Ferrari after 12 seasons at Mercedes. Sainz swaps the team who finished second in the championship for the team who finished second from bottom, though there’s optimism that Williams have improved.
Elsewhere, Kimi Antonelli may not see himself as Hamilton’s successor, but he won’t be able to escape that tag as he makes his maiden Mercedes appearance. Liam Lawson graduates to Red Bull after a brief stint at the de facto junior squad.
Antonelli is at the forefront of a wave of rookies that also features Oliver Bearman (Haas), Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) and Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber). The embattled Jack Doohan makes just his second start for Alpine on home soil.
Experienced drivers were also on the move in last year’s wild silly season. Esteban Ocon swaps Alpine for Haas following Nico Hulkenberg’s switch to Sauber.
No F1 driver has won their first race for a new team since Max Verstappen at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix. Hamilton has the best chance of joining that list at Albert Park.
Carlos Sainz Sr says Lewis Hamilton may not show best Ferrari form until end of the season
Speaking on the After Lap podcast, Carlos Sainz Sr discussed the adaptation process a driver faces when joining a new team. He reflected on his son’s move from McLaren to Ferrari in 2021.
Sainz was seventh in the championship at the halfway point of that season. But he ended up climbing to fifth after a hat-trick of top-three finishes in the final eight weekends (including Sprints).
According to his father, he was ‘two or three-tenths’ faster by the end of the season once he was fully comfortable in the car. Hamilton’s first season at Ferrari could follow a ‘similar’ path, with Charles Leclerc potentially quicker at the outset.
“Whether you like it or not, whenever you join a new team, there is a process, and that process requires a little time,” Sainz Sr said. “I remember when [my son] joined Ferrari, he was fast from the beginning, but he found another couple of tenths at the end of the year when he understood the car in the race and qualifying.
“He had an absolutely spectacular end of the year in his first season. I think the process of finding two or three-tenths to get to 100% requires a period of time. Something similar can happen to Hamilton.”
Bernie Ecclestone explains why Ferrari will regret letting Carlos Sainz go
Martin Brundle says Leclerc is ‘loving’ Hamilton’s Ferrari move because he’s attracting so much attention. That’s helped the Monegasque focus over the winter.
All the ‘pressure’ is on the seven-time world champion, who took a gamble by ending his historic partnership with Mercedes. Hamilton called Leclerc ‘Mr Ferrari’ during Thursday’s media day, but he’s happy to cede some of the publicity.
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Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is adamant Ferrari will regret signing Hamilton. He’s been impressed by what he’s seen from Sainz at Williams.
The Spaniard ended pre-season testing with the final time, though that may simply reflect a lower fuel load. Qualifying for the Australian GP will be the truest gauge of the pecking order.
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