With the brand new Ferrari SF-25, rivals are strongly backing Lewis Hamilton for the F1 drivers’ championship. Following the conclusion of the F1-75 LIVE occasion, it’s time to take Maranello’s new single-seater to the monitor. Right now, February 19, the workforce will already be on monitor at Fiorano for the 200 km allowed by the filming day— a shakedown that guarantees solutions (albeit partial ones) forward of Bahrain.
The night on the O2 Area didn’t disappoint expectations. It was a brand new occasion, nonetheless in want of fine-tuning, however totally consistent with Liberty Media and System 1’s communication technique. The automobiles on show had been merely showcars to current the liveries, however the groups compensated by sharing renders of their actual single-seaters on social media.
Probably the most anticipated automobile, for sure, was Ferrari. With a livery that aligns with latest leaks, the SF-25 was launched to the System 1 world. A automobile that’s “99% new” and, at first look, seems actually filled with improvements. The drivers’ pleasure was palpable, each sharing the identical dream: to grow to be champions with the Prancing Horse.
Hamilton and Leclerc: the primary rival is the teammate
The Briton and the Monegasque have robust causes to purpose for the championship. One needs to enter legend by securing an eighth title that maybe ought to have already been his in 2021. The opposite needs to lastly start his story by claiming the world crown that has appeared like a mere mirage for years. The younger (not a lot anymore) and the veteran, each reinvigorated by the Crimson that makes hearts race.
The energy of the equipment will, after all, be essential. However even when the SF-25 outclasses the remainder of the grid, one rival will stand out above all: their very own teammate. It is going to be a real generational battle, the place Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will compete for the drivers’ title—one thing each dream of greater than the rest.
A romantic SF-25 with Hamilton as champion
Whereas the grid is properly conscious of #16’s talents, the query stays about Lewis Hamilton’s untapped potential. Rivals, nonetheless, are strongly backing the Briton: “If he begins properly, if the workforce helps him, if he finds confidence in himself, and if he harnesses that vitality, then I see him as an actual title contender,” says Christian Horner.
“Lots will rely on how properly he integrates with the workforce within the first a part of the season. Everyone knows what Lewis is able to, and if he finds new vitality in a special setting, I feel he may grow to be a significant factor to look at this yr.”
This opinion is shared by Max Verstappen and Zak Brown, who’ve little bother envisioning Lewis Hamilton preventing for the world title. One factor is definite: whereas managing two potential “alpha males in the identical henhouse” is at all times dangerous, actually believing they will struggle for the highest of the championship standings is already a small victory for Ferrari after years of vacancy.
Supply: f1ingenerale