Lewis Hamilton is on the point of starting a brand new chapter in his illustrious profession, getting ready to make his race debut with one of the iconic groups in System 1 historical past as he strains up on the grid for the season opener in Melbourne.
Expectations are excessive as Lewis Hamilton embarks on this problem with Ferrari, a group the place attaining what he goals for has not been executed 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 achieved.
At 40 years previous, the British driver is defying the standard age limits of F1 success. If he manages to say one other title, he is not going to solely surpass Michael Schumacher’s long-standing file but additionally turn out 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 System 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 may current Hamilton along with his greatest alternative to win one other title. The regulation modifications 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 significant reset.
When discussing whether or not Hamilton faces further strain 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 strain differs from Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari struggles
The British driver is set 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 did not 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 response to Jeroen Bleekemolen, the extent of strain Hamilton faces is basically completely different. In contrast to Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, who had unfinished enterprise in F1 after they joined the Maranello group, Lewis Hamilton has already achieved nearly each file potential within the sport. His legacy is safe, and there’s little left for him to show. As an alternative of combating for validation, Lewis Hamilton’s transfer to Ferrari is about chasing an bold ultimate problem—one which, if profitable, would solely additional solidify his place within the historical past books moderately than outline his profession.
The Dutch skilled racing driver famous that at Ferrari, the strain is all the time immense, because the group faces extreme criticism in the event that they fail to provide a aggressive automotive. He identified that even with Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, the group 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 elucidate that Hamilton now not must show something, as he’s at present the best driver within the sport. In response to Jeroen Bleekemolen, the one driver who may doubtlessly problem Hamilton’s legacy is Max Verstappen. He urged that even when Hamilton had a poor season and determined to depart System 1, his standing as the best of all time would stay intact. Nonetheless, he additionally believed that whereas Hamilton ought to keep away from placing an excessive amount of strain on himself, his robust motivation may 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 facet will signify the primary occasion in Hamilton’s illustrious F1 profession the place he competes with a group powered by an engine aside 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 usually mentioned {that a} true F1 nice is measured by their adaptability and their means to safe a number of world championships with completely different groups. This can be a feat Juan Manuel Fangio exemplified along 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, significantly one as famend as Ferrari, would undoubtedly cement his standing amongst F1’s all-time greats.
One potential situation that might lead Hamilton to retire sooner than anticipated is that if Ferrari struggles to be aggressive all through the season. Nonetheless, it appears possible that Ferrari may provide him a respectable shot at capturing his first championship since 2021, conserving his championship aspirations alive.
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