Lewis Hamilton is on the point of starting a brand new chapter in his illustrious profession, making ready to make his race debut with one of the vital iconic groups in Method 1 historical past as he traces up on the grid for the season opener in Melbourne.
Expectations are excessive as Lewis Hamilton embarks on this problem with Ferrari, a crew the place reaching what he goals for has not been accomplished in over half a century. His arrival in Maranello carries important weight, as he makes an attempt to safe a historic eighth world championship—one thing no driver has ever completed.
At 40 years previous, the British driver is defying the traditional age limits of F1 success. If he manages to assert one other title, he is not going to solely surpass Michael Schumacher’s long-standing file but additionally grow to be the primary driver since Jack Brabham in 1966 to win a championship at this stage of his profession. It’s a feat that will cement his legacy even additional, proving that have and talent can nonetheless overcome youth within the trendy period of Method 1.
With Ferrari displaying robust competitiveness on the finish of the earlier season, Sky Sports activities commentator and F1 skilled David Croft believes that 2025 might current Hamilton together with his greatest alternative to win one other title. The regulation adjustments set for 2026 are anticipated to disrupt the present hierarchy, making this season doubtlessly the final likelihood to capitalize on a longtime pecking order earlier than the game undergoes a serious reset.
When discussing whether or not Hamilton faces further stress to ship, former Dutch racing driver Jeroen Bleekemolen shared his ideas with RacingNews365.nl, explaining why the expectations surrounding Lewis Hamilton differ from these confronted by Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel throughout their time at Ferrari.
Why Lewis Hamilton’s stress differs from Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari struggles
The British driver is decided to make sure that his tenure at Ferrari doesn’t mirror these of Vettel and Alonso, each of whom got here shut however in the end didn’t safe a title with the Scuderia. Whereas each drivers arrived with excessive expectations and immense expertise, they left with out fulfilling their championship ambitions, falling brief regardless of a number of near-misses.
In line with Jeroen Bleekemolen, the extent of stress Hamilton faces is essentially completely different. Not like Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, who had unfinished enterprise in F1 after they joined the Maranello crew, Lewis Hamilton has already achieved nearly each file doable within the sport. His legacy is safe, and there’s little left for him to show. As a substitute of preventing for validation, Lewis Hamilton’s transfer to Ferrari is about chasing an formidable last problem—one which, if profitable, would solely additional solidify his place within the historical past books relatively than outline his profession.
The Dutch skilled racing driver famous that at Ferrari, the stress is all the time immense, because the crew faces extreme criticism in the event that they fail to supply a aggressive automobile. He identified that even with Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, the crew was unable to safe a championship, and regardless of Alonso coming shut twice, his time at Ferrari was in the end thought to be a failure.
He went on to clarify that Hamilton now not must show something, as he’s presently the best driver within the sport. In line with Jeroen Bleekemolen, the one driver who might doubtlessly problem Hamilton’s legacy is Max Verstappen. He steered that even when Hamilton had a poor season and determined to depart Method 1, his standing as the best of all time would stay intact. Nevertheless, he additionally believed that whereas Hamilton ought to keep away from placing an excessive amount of stress on himself, his robust motivation might make him unwilling to accept something lower than victory, with second place prone to frustrate him.
The important thing statistic that will solidify Lewis Hamilton’s place among the many biggest drivers in F1 historical past
The Italian aspect will symbolize the primary occasion in Hamilton’s illustrious F1 profession the place he competes with a crew powered by an engine apart from Mercedes. Having debuted in 2007 with McLaren, which utilized V8 engines, Hamilton’s affiliation with Mercedes has been a defining characteristic of his profession.
It’s typically mentioned {that a} true F1 nice is measured by their adaptability and their potential to safe a number of world championships with completely different groups. It is a feat Juan Manuel Fangio exemplified together with his 5 titles throughout varied producers.
Though Lewis Hamilton has already clinched championships with two completely different groups, profitable with a 3rd engine provider, notably one as famend as Ferrari, would undoubtedly cement his standing amongst F1’s all-time greats.
One potential state of affairs that might lead Hamilton to retire sooner than anticipated is that if Ferrari struggles to be aggressive all through the season. Nevertheless, it appears probably that Ferrari might provide him a reputable shot at capturing his first championship since 2021, maintaining his championship aspirations alive.
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