Lewis Hamilton is on the point of starting a brand new chapter in his illustrious profession, getting ready to make his race debut with some of the iconic groups in Formulation 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 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At 40 years outdated, the British driver is defying the traditional age limits of F1 success.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 report but additionally change into the primary driver since Jack Brabham in 1966 to win a championship at this stage of his profession. It’s a feat that may cement his legacy even additional, proving that have and ability can nonetheless overcome youth within the trendy period of Formulation 1.
With Ferrari displaying sturdy competitiveness on the finish of the earlier season, Sky Sports activities commentator and F1 professional David Croft believes that 2025 might 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 probably the final probability to capitalize on a longtime pecking order earlier than the game undergoes a significant reset.
When discussing whether or not Hamilton faces extra 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 decided to make sure that his tenure at Ferrari doesn’t mirror these of Vettel and Alonso, each of whom got here shut however finally 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 quick regardless of a number of near-misses.
In line with Jeroen Bleekemolen, the extent of strain Hamilton faces is essentially completely different. Not like Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, who had unfinished enterprise in F1 after they joined the Maranello group, Lewis Hamilton has already achieved nearly each report doable within the sport. His legacy is safe, and there’s little left for him to show. As a substitute of combating for validation, Lewis Hamilton’s transfer to Ferrari is about chasing an bold remaining problem—one which, if profitable, would solely additional solidify his place within the historical past books fairly 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 supply 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 finally thought to be a failure.
He went on to elucidate that Hamilton not must show something, as he’s at the moment the best driver within the sport. In line with Jeroen Bleekemolen, the one driver who might probably problem Hamilton’s legacy is Max Verstappen. He urged that even when Hamilton had a poor season and determined to depart Formulation 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 sturdy motivation might make him unwilling to accept something lower than victory, with second place prone to frustrate him.
The important thing statistic that may solidify Lewis Hamilton’s place among the many biggest drivers in F1 historical past
The Italian facet will characterize the primary occasion in Hamilton’s illustrious F1 profession the place he competes with a group 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 stated {that a} true F1 nice is measured by their adaptability and their skill to safe a number of world championships with completely different groups. It is 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, successful 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. Nonetheless, it appears seemingly that Ferrari might provide him a reputable shot at capturing his first championship since 2021, preserving his championship aspirations alive.
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