Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari for 2025 has brought a sense of fresh rejuvenation in the F1 world. Even F1 boss Stefano Domenicali is now excited about what lies in store for the sport in the next few years due to Hamilton’s mega switch. Domenicali believes that the seven-time champion being at Ferrari could increase the attention on F1 as a whole. This would be a massive gain, especially due to the decreased fan engagement amid the current Red Bull dominance.
According to Motorsport Week, the Italian said, “It is certainly very interesting news which has had an extraordinary response not only in Italy, in England you can just imagine, but also around the world this is a guarantee of extending attention to our world also for next year.”
The former Ferrari team boss would love to see some increase in social media engagement after they witnessed a dip in 2022-23 for the first time since 2018. 2018 was the first year when Liberty Media fully took over, giving a fresh makeover to F1.
However, the predictable dominance Red Bull has shown in the new ground effect era has drawn audiences away from the sport somewhat. With no fight at the front, Domenicali would want either Mercedes or Ferrari or somebody else to challenge Max Verstappen’s supremacy.
With Hamilton moving to the Italian outfit, that may happen if he gets a good car to fight with. The F1 CEO also commented on how this move will affect the dynamics between the Brackley and Maranello outfits.
Having fought with each other for P2 in 2023, it could be an interesting subplot for the next two to three years, given how they develop competitively. Overall, Domenicali believes that Hamilton‘s move to Ferrari may bring back some of the fan engagement in 2025.
And if a title fight beckons, that would certainly help the competitiveness of F1 with the Briton back at the front alongside Verstappen. Meanwhile, unlike Domenicali, Zak Brown believes this change may happen in 2024 itself.
Zak Brown backs Mercedes to deliver a memorable farewell for Lewis Hamilton
McLaren CEO Zak Brown is very bullish on the competitiveness increasing in F1 this season itself. After a tremendous turnaround in 2023, Brown is confident that McLaren will make a step forward towards Red Bull this year. However, he also stated that even their rivals like Mercedes may become more competitive in 2024.
Brown believes so due to how close teams were in the midfield last year behind Red Bull. Mercedes was one of these teams. Knowing how to bounce back, the Silver Arrows may get it third time lucky, claims the American boss.
This would be quite the spectacle to watch if the Brackley outfit pulls off a championship contender in Lewis Hamilton’s last season for them. That could then perhaps put a second thought in the Briton’s mind on his switch to Ferrari. However, it also gives him the chance to secure his record eighth title at Mercedes itself.
However, it is a “Mount Everest to climb”, as Toto Wolff himself admitted. Red Bull and Verstappen have been miles ahead of them on performance. So, Mercedes will have to close a lot of gaps to make this prophecy a reality. Realistically, if they can enable Hamilton to win a few races in 2024, that would be a memorable farewell too.
Still, Brown believes the competitive landscape of F1 can change drastically in 2024. McLaren are very buoyant and confident, and seem in a very different position than last season’s start. If not Mercedes, could they spring a surprise challenge to Red Bull?
