Lewis Hamilton is making the biggest move of his Formula 1 career in 2025 as he bids to sign off from the sport in the most spectacular fashion at Ferrari.
Winning a championship in red is a dream for so many drivers and Hamilton has the chance to achieve a record-breaking milestone with them and bolster his already incredible legacy.
The Italian outfit ended the 2024 season on the tails of McLaren, missing out on the Constructors’ Championship by just 14 points.
Hamilton will no longer face an extreme Mercedes issue at Ferrari as he jumps into a new car. His new machinery will be easier to hustle.
It’s still a big leap for the seven-time champion to make, having left a Mercedes team he spent 11 years with and won six of his titles with.
New teammate Charles Leclerc will find Hamilton difficult to handle with his experience and knowledge of a title-winning operation bound to come in handy.
But, it could also make them a formidable partnership to face and lift Ferrari to the sort of level they have failed to reach since claiming their last title in 2008.
Lewis Hamilton was the ‘ultimate benchmark’ for Nico Rosberg in F1
Hamilton’s previous teammates have all faced the brunt of his blistering pace, having been beaten only on a few occasions throughout his 18-year career.
Nico Rosberg was on the other side of the garage from him between 2013 and 2016, just as Mercedes was starting to achieve some big things.
Speaking on Sky Sports F1’s broadcast at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last season, he mentioned how the Brit was his ultimate benchmark.
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“Amazing to be a rival there for some years and share together the success of the Mercedes team,” he said.
“To watch them go on and continue that streak for so many years, it’s a very emotional day today for everybody there, amazing story.
“He was the ultimate benchmark, incredibly difficult to beat and I knew that since I’m 13 years old because I was already teammates in go-karting with him. All the better, all the sweeter for me that then I did manage to beat him as my rival.”
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Hamilton’s 2024 campaign suggested that his form in qualifying may have declined, but his race pace was just as evident as ever.
Terrific drives at the British and Las Vegas Grands Prix were evidence that Ferrari is inheriting a driver who can still deliver his best.
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There will be an emphasis on improving his one-lap pace over the winter, something which some extra time in the simulator may help cure.
However, hitting the ground running at the Australian Grand Prix will be the key component for the Brit when it comes to mounting a title challenge.
He simply cannot afford to start slow and fall behind his rivals. It could leave him with too much to do later in the season.
