BREAKING: Ferrari ‘not scared’ of Hamilton’s Mercedes ‘difficulties’ bleeding into F1 2025…read more
The highly anticipated move of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari has finally become a reality. After spending 12 remarkable years with Mercedes, the seven-time World Champion has bid farewell to the Silver Arrows and embarked on a new chapter in his illustrious career.
Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes was not the fairy tale ending he had envisioned. The Briton struggled to come to terms with the team’s ground-effect aerodynamic F1 cars, which were introduced in 2022. The W13, the first of these cars, was likened by Hamilton to the McLaren MP4-24, a car he had described as “wretched” during his time at McLaren.
The situation did not improve in 2023, with Hamilton labeling the W14 as the “evil sister” of its predecessor. Although the 2024 W15 showed promise at the beginning of the season, with Hamilton describing it as feeling “like a race car,” the car’s performance deteriorated as the season progressed. In a scathing assessment, Hamilton ultimately described the W15 as the “worst I’ve ever driven.”
The final season of Hamilton’s tenure at Mercedes was marked by a disappointing loss in both the qualifying and race head-to-head against teammate George Russell. According to Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin, Hamilton’s struggles with the ground-effect cars were largely due to a mismatch between his driving style and the car’s characteristics.
“He’s struggled with this whole generation of car, really, not suiting his style,” Shovlin explained. “He simply has difficulties with them, especially on one lap. His long run pace is always there. And that was also very helpful.”
As Hamilton begins his new journey with Ferrari, he will be looking to put his struggles with Mercedes behind him and rediscover the form that has made him one of the most successful drivers in F1 history. With a new team and a fresh start, Hamilton will be eager to prove that he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level.
The Ferrari chapter of Hamilton’s career promises to be an exciting one, with the Briton joining forces with Charles Leclerc to form a formidable driver lineup. As the 2025 F1 season gets underway, all eyes will be on Hamilton and Ferrari, eager to see if the seven-time World Champion can reclaim his spot at the top of the podium.
