As 2025 begins, Lewis Hamilton’s long-awaited transition to Scuderia Ferrari has formally been realized, marking the tip of a rare period with Mercedes.
The seven-time System 1 world champion had revealed his resolution to affix Ferrari in February of the earlier yr, earlier than he even took to the monitor with Mercedes for the 2024 season. This momentous shift marked the conclusion of a outstanding partnership with the Silver Arrows, a relationship the British driver had been a part of, in numerous capacities, since 1998.
Lewis Hamilton’s journey with Mercedes started in 2013, when he made the change from McLaren. Through the years, he amassed six of his seven world titles with the group, dominating from 2014 to 2020. His time with Mercedes noticed him break quite a few information, together with turning into essentially the most profitable driver in F1 historical past, with the best variety of race wins, pole positions, and podium finishes.
His departure from the group was a poignant second, not just for the workers at Mercedes but additionally for the followers who had adopted his unbelievable journey. In his last go to to the Brackley manufacturing unit earlier than transferring on to Ferrari, the British driver acquired a heartfelt farewell from Mercedes group principal Toto Wolff.
Ever since signing his contract with the Italian facet, Lewis Hamilton has been keen to start out this new chapter of his profession with the enduring group. Much like Carlos Sainz’s transfer to Ferrari in 2021, Lewis Hamilton has been holding non-public conferences with the Scuderia, visiting Maranello and attending to know his new group members earlier than formally getting into the purple automotive.
In Abu Dhabi, Lewis Hamilton even greeted the Ferrari mechanics in Italian, additional emphasizing his enthusiasm and readiness to start driving for Ferrari. His long-anticipated debut with the group is now within reach.
Ferrari has scheduled a personal take a look at for Hamilton at their Fiorano Circuit in January, which will probably be his first official outing with the group. Nonetheless, the take a look at could also be rescheduled to February as a consequence of antagonistic climate circumstances, with the potential for it being moved to both Imola or Mugello.
The Maranello-based group has chosen to conduct this take a look at behind closed doorways to keep away from pointless media consideration, permitting Lewis Hamilton the house to focus solely on adapting to his new group and automotive. The precedence is for Lewis Hamilton to familiarize himself along with his new setting and set the muse for Ferrari’s 2025 title problem.
In his first publish on LinkedIn since his transfer to Ferrari grew to become official initially of the yr, Lewis Hamilton expressed his pleasure to start this new chapter. Addressing Ferrari followers, he posted a easy however highly effective message: “Andiamo,” which means “let’s go” in Italian, signaling his readiness to get began with the Maranello group forward of his first season in purple.
“I couldn’t be extra excited for the yr forward. Transferring to Scuderia Ferrari, there’s rather a lot to replicate on. To anybody contemplating their subsequent transfer in 2025: embrace the change,” he wrote – “Whether or not you’re switching industries, studying a brand new talent, and even simply taking over new challenges, do not forget that reinvention is highly effective. Your subsequent alternative is all the time inside attain. Right here’s to 2025—a yr of embracing new alternatives, staying hungry, and driving ahead with goal. Let’s make it one to recollect. Andiamo!”
As Lewis Hamilton prepares to make his extremely anticipated debut with Ferrari, there’s a lingering query: will the difficulties he confronted with Mercedes in the course of the floor impact period observe him to his new group?
Whereas Lewis Hamilton’s outstanding achievements with Mercedes can’t be overshadowed, his latest struggles increase issues about how he’ll adapt to Ferrari. The 39-year-old driver went by a difficult interval, not securing a race victory till 2023, when he clinched two wins at Silverstone and Spa. His efficiency in the course of the 2024 season, nonetheless, was notably disappointing, as he completed a career-low seventh within the championship standings. So as to add to the frustration, Lewis Hamilton was decisively outperformed by his teammate George Russell, and qualifying grew to become a big challenge for him. The seven-time world champion discovered himself unable to extract the tempo required to carry out effectively over a single lap, and he even did not make it previous Q1 on 4 events. Recognizing the issue, the British driver has been proactive in addressing his qualifying points, explaining to Ferrari group principal Frederic Vasseur precisely what went mistaken in an effort to repair the state of affairs for his future with the Scuderia.
Although Lewis Hamilton’s time at Mercedes ended on a less-than-ideal observe, there have been nonetheless moments that showcased his simple expertise. One of many standout performances was his unbelievable drive in Abu Dhabi, the place he made a outstanding restoration from sixteenth to 4th place, proving that his aggressive edge continues to be very a lot intact.
Trying forward, Ferrari is decided to enhance on their 2024 season, the place they narrowly misplaced the Constructors’ Championship to McLaren. With Lewis Hamilton now desperate to embrace this recent problem and Ferrari bolstering their lineup with each him and Charles Leclerc, the group’s prospects for 2025 are extra promising than ever. The formidable duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc represents a potent mixture, as each drivers convey distinctive talent and starvation for fulfillment to the group, aiming to take the Maranello group again to the highest.
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