Lewis Hamilton’s era begins in Ferrari, can it be a winning year for Maranello’s outfit?
This is the third of 4 articles that analyze the candidate for the title. Be sure to check Planetf1. com both a day and both through Friday for the next team. You can read that about Mercedes here and the Red Bull here.
The biggest moment of Ferrari’s season came before a wheel had even spun with the bombshell news that Lewis Hamilton was to join in 2025 but on the track, it was one of ups and downs.
They started the year strongly, if a small step behind Red Bull, and as the Milton Keynes side faltered, Ferrari stayed consistent.
But McLaren saw them before Ferrari and a return to Monaco preceded a bad career that eliminated the Italian shock team for the two championships.
Issues were solved over the second break meaning Ferrari ended as arguably the quickest car on the grid, but they need to keep a consistent level of performance throughout 2025 if they hope to challenge.
Carlos Sainz impressed in his final year, leaving some with regret at his departure, while Charles Leclerc was one of the most consistent drivers on the grid and earned P3 in the championship.
Ferrari’s fall in 2024 were his updates when his monaco triumphs in good fortune before a frustrating race.
Sometimes in 2024 they had the fastest car, however, the key to an offer of name maintains that functionality during the year and if the races had to count the Ferrari had the fastest car, that number is red in the figure Red of Bull and McLaren.
The Maranello outfit lost server Enrico Cardin from Maranello, but hired Mercedes’ Loic Serra in a kind of technical team and the French will be the key to Ferrari’s Progression Plan this year.
Fred Vasseur has mitigated the pressures to be Ferrari since his arrival, but after having spent a fortune to attract Hamilton, the most sensible superiors may require results.
It feels apt that a month before Ferrari lift the covers, a Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet called ‘A Complete Unknown’ is hitting cinema screens for that is what Ferrari are walking into.
This time last year, Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari seemed like it had to work out but the way the driver finished 2024 has raised more questions than answers.
Away from the marketing power that he will bring, Hamilton has been signed for his driving skill but, while they will never admit it, there may be one or two concerned minds in Maranello as Carlos Sainz went from strength to strength while Hamilton languished at Brackley.
A new beginning in Ferrari would possibly offer Hamilton the motivation to succeed over his crisis, but after having turned 40 this week, there are questions about whether his transitionality 2024 or a sign of things to come.
This is the story of the decade and all the eyes will be in the number when he leaves the garage in red for the first time.
Attention can be in Hamilton, but Charles Leclerc will be the key to any good fortune in 2025.
Leclerc, a motive force who slipped under the radar in 2024, however, his consistent performances earned him third in driver qualifying and, if the car is smart all year, it may have been him and not Lando Norris challenging Max Verstapun.
Leclerc in the last few years has got rid of the mistakes and the swapping of radio engineers to Bryan Bozzi has had a positive impact on his relationship with the team, suggesting he is now experienced and skilled enough to go for the sport’s biggest prize.
The 27-year-old is, for many, the qualifier at the net and if he can start turning more poles into wins, he will be a serious contender for the title.
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The big question mark at Ferrari is an obvious one – how will Lewis Hamilton adapt to life at Maranello?
A new team, a new environment, a new engine. There are enough variables to make you think twice before Ferrari for manufacturers, but on paper, they want everything they want to set up a push.
The key will be the force of the automobile the year and Leclerc can arise as a very sensible contender if it hits the ground.
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