Lewis Hamilton has begun a new chapter of his career as he joins Ferrari on a quest to win a record-breaking eighth Formula 1 championship.
The seven-time champion has departed the Mercedes team after an 11-year alliance which brought 13 titles to Brackley.
Hamilton won’t have to face an extreme Mercedes issue at Ferrari which will allow him to be more aggressive behind the wheel and drive to his style.
It could unlock some extra performance that the Brit has been missing over the last few years which caused him to be beaten firmly by ex-teammate George Russell.
Hamilton jumps into what will be a front-running car at most circuits and has the best opportunity to win a Drivers’ Championship since 2021.
His biggest obstacle may prove to be new partner Charles Leclerc who knows the team inside out and is eager to become a champion himself.
Ferrari have ‘rediscovered’ ambitions to win before Lewis Hamilton arrival
Ferrari are bringing an intense livery change for Hamilton’s arrival which signifies just how focused they are on turning a new chapter in their story.
2025 is an excellent opportunity to end a 17-year title drought having finished last season with the second fastest car on the grid.
Hamilton and Leclerc should be able to offer some great feedback and develop the car in an aggressive direction before the new technical regulations arrive next year.
READ MORE: The Ferrari scenario that could see Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc racing with different cars in 2025
Their recent shift in mentality towards aiming to win again under team boss Fred Vasseur is timely and creates a good environment for Hamilton according to Riccardo Ceccarelli.
“I think it’s a topic that all enthusiasts are asking themselves,” he said. “Who [wins] this rivalry between the mature young man because Charles’s age is the age of full competitive maturity in brackets obviously.
“The old man Hamilton in a [good] environment – the most prestigious team. In a Ferrari then that seems to have also rediscovered the ambitions to do well.”
When will Lewis Hamilton drive a Ferrari F1 car for the first time?
Hamilton is scheduled to drive an older-spec Ferrari car for the first time on either February 20 or 21 at their Fiorano test track.
It will offer him a sneak peek at how to manage and run their systems before he climbs into the cockpit at pre-season testing in Bahrain.
He will only get one and a half days of running in Sakhir before heading to Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix in mid-March.
READ MORE: Jeroen Bleekemolen predicts who will be fastest out of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari
It increases the importance of their simulator for the Brit who will be taking advantage of every resource available to get ahead of the game.
There’s every opportunity that he will be able to compete for victory Down Under against the likes of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen but there are two long months of preparation to go first.
