Lewis Hamilton, the famend seven-time World Champion, is embarking on a brand new chapter in his illustrious profession by becoming a member of Ferrari for the 2025 F1 season. The 40-year-old driver has been getting ready for this extremely anticipated transfer for months, as he transitions into his position on the Scuderia, probably the most profitable groups in Method 1 historical past.
After nearly a yr of anticipation, The British driver’s lifelong dream of driving for Ferrari has lastly come true. The Brit’s first official alternative to familiarize himself with the SF-25 got here throughout pre-season testing in Bahrain, the place he took to the observe to fine-tune his abilities together with his new challenger. Hamilton’s first style of the Ferrari was in Fiorano, the place he participated in a shakedown session earlier than heading to the Sakhir Worldwide Circuit for 3 full days of testing.
Whereas Hamilton will be unable to check straight with teammate Charles Leclerc as a consequence of observe time restrictions, the testing interval is essential for the 40-year-old as he seems to be to adapt to his new automotive and setup. One of many key elements to handle is the steering wheel, as Hamilton has not but used his ultimate model throughout his personal assessments. The Bahrain periods will likely be important for him to get comfy with the automotive’s dealing with and methods forward of the upcoming Method 1 marketing campaign.
One other essential side of Hamilton’s preparations will likely be working carefully together with his new race engineer, Riccardo Adami. The pairing marks a contemporary begin for Hamilton, who hopes to construct a powerful relationship with Adami much like the one he shared together with his long-time engineer Peter Bonnington at Mercedes.
Riccardo Adami is well-known within the F1 world for his profitable tenure working with Sebastian Vettel in the course of the German’s time at Ferrari, and later with Carlos Sainz. In a current press convention on the 5.412-kilometre Bahrain Worldwide Circuit in Sakhir, Lewis Hamilton shared that he has been finding out Vettel’s method at Ferrari, acknowledging that the German had a head begin when it comes to time on the Scuderia. The seven-time Method 1 world champion revealed that his preparations are progressing as deliberate with Riccardo Adami, emphasizing that there’s a robust alternate of knowledge between them, which has been effectively reciprocated.
As the beginning of the 2025 season attracts nearer, Lewis Hamilton’s time with Ferrari and his shut collaboration with Riccardo Adami will likely be key to figuring out how efficiently he can regulate to the workforce and benefit from his new alternative. Along with his deal with constructing the required rapport and mastering the intricacies of the SF-25, Hamilton’s journey at Ferrari has solely simply begun.
The British driver talked about that he and his engineer had been nonetheless studying how one can talk successfully. After each session, they’d focus on the changes wanted primarily based on the knowledge he offered and vice versa. He said that the whole lot was progressing as deliberate and that they couldn’t have made extra progress given the quick period of time they’d.
He additionally shared that he had been finding out the preparation strategies of earlier nice drivers, like Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, who began a lot earlier in November. Regardless of the restricted time out there, Hamilton felt that they’d completed rather a lot, noting that the knowledge alternate between him and his engineer had been very optimistic and reciprocal.
Lewis Hamilton Has Already Outpaced Ferrari’s 2024 Take a look at Time in Bahrain
Though it’s nonetheless early within the pre-season testing, and lap occasions might be misleading, Lewis Hamilton has proven a powerful stage of consolation with Ferrari’s SF-25 on the Bahrain circuit. On the second day of testing, Hamilton topped the time sheets in the course of the morning session earlier than being surpassed by Carlos Sainz, who drove for Williams. Nevertheless, Hamilton’s lap time remained faster than the Spaniard’s 2024 testing time, signaling that Ferrari has made important progress.
Toto Wolff, who now not has the seven-time champion at Mercedes since Hamilton’s change to Ferrari, expressed admiration for Hamilton’s efficiency, stating that he has been “very spectacular” in the course of the early testing periods. This shift for Hamilton, transferring from the Silver Arrows to the Scuderia, is already displaying indicators of potential, regardless of the workforce’s new setup and adjustments.
One of the crucial talked-about features of Ferrari’s 2024 automotive is the aggressive redesign of the entrance suspension and the brand new sidepod design, which has been hailed as “vastly influential.” These modifications have actually caught the eye of the F1 paddock, and early studies point out that Ferrari’s adjustments have already made a notable influence on their efficiency.
For Lewis Hamilton, the advance from the Italian aspect is a serious confidence booster as he prepares for a contemporary problem. Along with his eyes set on securing his eighth World Championship, the early indicators recommend that Ferrari is on the precise path, making Hamilton’s transfer to Maranello look much more promising.