Lewis Hamilton Continues to Steal the Highlight at Bahrain Take a look at with Historic Ferrari Transfer
Lewis Hamilton stays the focus of the 2025 F1 Bahrain testing, producing extra buzz than another driver on the grid. Even earlier than the primary session started, photographers gathered exterior the Ferrari storage, wanting to seize their first glimpse of the seven-time world champion as he participated in an official F1 session for his new crew.
Karun Chandhok described the joy surrounding Hamilton as “unreal,” particularly following what many take into account to be probably the most vital driver switch in F1 historical past. If the transfer proves profitable, it may preserve this stage of hype all through the season, a lot to the chagrin of Hamilton’s rivals. Ferrari crew principal Fred Vasseur, conscious of the extreme media consideration, aimed to handle the fanfare round Hamilton’s arrival, permitting him and his engineers to focus on the essential job of adapting to the automotive.
Whereas Lewis Hamilton attracts huge consideration, different drivers like Lando Norris are anticipated to expertise much less media scrutiny. Lando Norris, typically thought to be a title contender after McLaren’s dominant run within the constructors’ championship, will profit from the highlight shifting to Hamilton and his extremely anticipated Ferrari journey.
Lewis Hamilton’s transfer to Ferrari makes him the primary world champion to hitch the Scuderia since Sebastian Vettel, who gained 4 titles with Purple Bull earlier than shifting to Maranello. Nevertheless, the comparability most continuously drawn is to Michael Schumacher’s iconic 1996 change to Ferrari, a transfer that redefined the game.
The Significance of Lewis Hamilton’s Transfer: Karun Chandhok Attracts Parallels to Schumacher
Lewis Hamilton’s pursuit of a record-breaking eighth world title brings him ever nearer to Michael Schumacher’s legacy, as each drivers are tied at seven championships. Attaining that historic eighth title in Ferrari’s iconic scarlet purple would carry large symbolic weight.
Through the testing session, the British driver was seen conversing with Ferrari chairman John Elkann within the storage. The Indian former racing driver and broadcaster famous that John Elkann’s presence on the paddock emphasised simply how vital Lewis Hamilton’s signing is for Ferrari. This second, in keeping with the F1 broadcaster, reminded him of the 1996 scenes when Schumacher first joined Ferrari, with crew leaders on the time acknowledging the far-reaching influence of his arrival. The parallels between these two legendary strikes are arduous to disregard, as each drivers intention to write down their very own chapters of historical past with the Scuderia. When the transfer was introduced a 12 months in the past, the corporate noticed a big spike in its share costs. Though Hamilton celebrated his fortieth birthday final month, his first contract with Ferrari may hold him with the crew for the following three years.
Through the protection of testing on the Bahrain circuit, Karun Chandhok remarked that Hamilton’s signing reminded him of when Ferrari final signed a world champion megastar, Michael Schumacher. He recalled that on the time, John Elkann’s uncle, Gianni Agnelli, was current within the pitlane alongside Luca di Montezemolo, watching the key asset that they had delivered to the crew. The previous System 1 driver emphasised that this second highlighted the importance and significance of signing Lewis Hamilton for the Ferrari group.
Ted Kravitz Observes Uncommon Ferrari Second as John Elkann Attends Testing
Ted Kravitz, a colleague of Karun Chandhok, identified a uncommon prevalence at Ferrari in the course of the pre-season testing session—the shock attendance of Ferrari chairman John Elkann. It’s uncommon for Elkann to seem at common races, as he sometimes solely attends choose occasions all through the season. His presence at testing, nevertheless, underlined the importance of the second for Ferrari and its newly signed star, Lewis Hamilton.
Chandhok additionally famous that Hamilton appeared to settle into the Ferrari with ease, which is certain to reassure Elkann. As a 105-time race winner, Hamilton is of course way more expensive than his teammate Carlos Sainz, and with such a big monetary funding, Ferrari will undoubtedly anticipate a considerable return on that funding.
Lewis Hamilton’s Excessive-Incomes Deal and Ferrari’s Championship Push
Hamilton is reportedly incomes £39 million yearly with Ferrari, although his whole compensation may skyrocket to as a lot as £83 million, relying on performance-related bonuses. Given Ferrari’s near-miss within the constructors’ championship final season—falling quick by simply 14 factors—Hamilton’s signing is considered as an important step within the crew’s efforts to safe each the drivers’ and constructors’ titles. The added strain for Hamilton to ship outcomes is immense, however his confirmed pedigree affords Ferrari the very best likelihood to lastly reclaim their spot on the prime of System 1.
By signing the seven-time System 1 world champion, Ferrari is clearly aiming to shut the hole to Purple Bull, and the Italian crew’s funding on the earth champion displays their dedication to profitable. Because the season progresses, all eyes might be on Hamilton’s capability to steer Ferrari again to championship glory.