Ferrari have high ambitions for 2025 as they look to end a 16-year title drought with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the helm.
The Italian manufacturer made the marquee signing of Hamilton before the 2024 season, where they finished second in the constructors’ championship to McLaren by just 14 points.
Ferrari ended the year with the second-fastest car and should be competitive from lap one this season after opting to design a new car chassis over the winter.
It’s their last chance before the 2026 F1 regulations arrive and shake things up, with no guarantees over their performance beyond this season.
Leclerc may have an ‘unbridgeable’ advantage over Hamilton in 2025 as his understanding of Italian will help him to communicate better with the team.
Hamilton’s confidantes think he can reach another level at Ferrari though, especially if they give him a car capable of competing for a title.
Ferrari completed ‘fundamental’ wind tunnel upgrade which will benefit Lewis Hamilton
Unusually, Ferrari developed their car impressively throughout the second half of 2024 and didn’t drop off as they had done in previous seasons.
Their strategies worked well and they were in contention for victory at most races, something they would like to continue with this season.
Hamilton has been warned Ferrari will refuse to change strategy for his arrival and that their approach will remain the same.
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La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that the Italian manufacturer completed an upgrade last summer to their wind tunnel, replacing a metal surface with a rubber one.
Their simulations are more accurate as a result and their upgrades were notably more effective from that stage onwards.
If they find themselves in a close fight with the likes of McLaren and Red Bull again, every tenth will matter and their improved wind tunnel should help.
Bernie Collins believes Lewis Hamilton faces one troubling ‘challenge’ at Ferrari
2025 will mark the first time during Hamilton’s career that he has competed in Formula 1 with a power unit other than a Mercedes.
Adjusting to the power delivery and driveability of new machinery is something that he will have to adapt to and improvise with if he wants to be successful.
Bernie Collins believes Hamilton faces one troubling ‘challenge’ at Ferrari because he has to learn everything from scratch again.
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At the age of 39, it could be his last significant move before he retires from the sport. He is aware that the clock is ticking.
If he pulls off an eighth world championship, it would be an incredible way to bow out from the sport and he would be in the hearts of Ferrari fans worldwide forever.
