Lewis Hamilton Groups Up with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari in Pursuit of Eighth Formulation 1 Title as Scuderia Eyes First Champion Driver Since 2007
Ferrari, a reputation synonymous with ardour and pleasure, enjoys unwavering assist from the whole nation of Italy. The legendary Scuderia has not had a champion driver to have fun since Kimi Raikkonen’s triumph in 2007, which prevented Lewis Hamilton from claiming his first title throughout his rookie season with McLaren. Since then, Ferrari has been with no championship-winning driver, and so they haven’t secured the Constructors’ Championship since 2008. Nonetheless, within the 2024 season, Ferrari completed a robust second, narrowly shedding to McLaren by simply 14 factors within the Abu Dhabi season finale. With the arrival of Lewis Hamilton alongside Charles Leclerc, Ferrari arguably now boasts one of many strongest driver lineups on the grid as they aim a return to the highest.
At Ferrari’s Fiorano take a look at circuit on Wednesday, over 5,000 followers gathered to witness Hamilton and Leclerc take the SF-25 for a spin. The Monegasque practically broke the observe file with a blistering 56.06-second lap, showcasing the automotive’s potential throughout the shakedown. Hamilton, although, was 0.8 seconds slower than Leclerc, marking his first laps in Ferrari’s 2025 Formulation 1 automotive. This session was an early alternative for the group to evaluate whether or not minor changes made to the SF-24 would yield outcomes earlier than the official pre-season testing in Bahrain, scheduled for February 26-28.
The SF-25, Ferrari’s 2025 F1 automotive, solely introduces a handful of adjustments in comparison with the 2024 model. Regardless of this, sources resembling Motor Sport Journal report that Ferrari’s administration is optimistic that they’ve addressed the rear downforce points that plagued the SF-24 at excessive speeds. By bettering the automotive’s airflow path, Ferrari believes they’ve efficiently eliminated the bottleneck that hindered their efficiency in quick corners.
Whereas the 2024 Ferrari was usually the quickest automotive on the grid in low-speed corners, its primary weak point lay in high-speed turns. To treatment this, Ferrari has made delicate however essential updates to the SF-25, together with the adoption of a pull-rod entrance suspension system and a rearward repositioning of the cockpit. These adjustments are designed to enhance the automotive’s general aerodynamic effectivity and dealing with in high-speed conditions by optimizing airflow by way of the suspension and in the direction of the automotive’s ground. Essentially the most notable profit is an enhanced potential to handle the automotive’s entrance trip top, offering higher management in high-speed corners.
The Fiorano shakedown supplied Ferrari an early alternative to check their methods, and the group loved a clean day with the SF-25. Nonetheless, this session wasn’t conclusive, and Ferrari is now eagerly anticipating the Bahrain take a look at, which shall be essential in figuring out the place the SF-25 stands in comparison with its rivals. The Bahrain pre-season take a look at will present a a lot clearer indication of whether or not Ferrari’s updates to enhance high-speed cornering have been profitable. Whereas the take a look at received’t have a direct influence on the Australian Grand Prix on March 16, it’ll play a pivotal function in shaping the group’s efficiency forward of the Chinese language Grand Prix simply seven days later.
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