The sight of Lewis Hamilton, one of the greatest drivers in F1 history, struggling to get close to the podiums took some getting used to over the last few years. But if his early days at Ferrari are a sign of things to come, Hamilton might just finally get out of that slump.
With Mercedes, Hamilton achieved greatness. With six world titles in eight years during the turbo-hybrid era, the #44 driver owned the Championship trophy with no competition. However, a slump after the ground-effect regulations came into effect in 2022 limited Hamilton’s ability to continue his juggernaut.
As a result, he chose to leave Mercedes for Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season, and his testing days with the Scuderia have made him optimistic.
So far, he has tested the SF-23 and SF-24 in Fiorano and Barcelona, and the Briton feels good.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Hamilton felt ‘more comfortable’ with the Ferrari challengers than he did in Mercedes’ recent cars. This reportedly made the bosses of the Italian team confident about the 40-year-old’s upcoming stint.
| Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting that Lewis Hamilton immediately felt more comfortable in the SF23 and SF24 during his private tests compared to the Mercedes cars he drove in recent seasons.
Ferrari has no doubts that Hamilton will be highly competitive when the time comes. pic.twitter.com/exTZoVKVmz
— ۟ (@notracingpoint) February 10, 2025
With 2025 expected to be one of the most competitive F1 seasons in recent times, Hamilton will be happy about the fact that he feels good in red. It will be crucial for the Stevenage-born driver to regain the confidence he lost in his last few seasons at Mercedes, before the campaign begins.
Anything less than a title would be a failure
Ferrari last won a Championship in 2008. It has been a frustratingly long drought for the team and the Tifosi since then, but Hamilton’s arrival has brought optimism.
Since Frederic Vasseur’s arrival in 2023, there have been signs of progress at Ferrari. They aren’t making errors that affected their Championship changes in the past, and performance-wise, Vasseur’s team has made big strides.
In 2024, Ferrari finished P2 in the Constructors’ standings, just 14 points behind McLaren. They aren’t a long way behind success, and strong developments in the coming months could yield silverware for the Italian squad.
Hamilton will want to win his eighth World Championship at Ferrari, just as much as Charles Leclerc will be craving his first. Together, they form the best driver pairing on the grid (on paper at least), which is why not winning a title will be a failure for Ferrari.
