It’s a query that has accompanied us all through 2024 and can proceed not less than till March: was Lewis Hamilton a technical asset for Ferrari, or was his signing pushed solely by industrial causes, because the fiercest critics declare?
The 2024 Method 1 championship, which concluded on December 8 with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, was not probably the greatest for the seven-time F1 world champion, it is a well-established reality. The constructive facet was his return to victory: he received twice, each on iconic and extremely demanding tracks like Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps. The draw back is that he as soon as once more misplaced the interior battle each in qualifying and in races. This example mirrored on the standings, with George Russell as soon as once more forward of his fellow countryman.
These details led some to consider that the British driver was on the decline. Clearly, we’re speaking a few driver who will flip 40 in just a few days, so it’s pure to not count on his profession to nonetheless be creating towards its peak. Nevertheless, one should be cautious with harsh judgments, avoiding drawing maybe hasty conclusions.
Lewis Hamilton didn’t have a combined season resulting from an absence of motivation or due to an inner battle inside Mercedes after his change to Ferrari was introduced on February 1. No, the British driver paid the worth because of the W15, a automobile he by no means actually related with, particularly when it comes to attaining quick lap occasions, the place the sensation and symbiosis with the automobile should be whole.
Initially, it needs to be emphasised that the common hole Lewis Hamilton needed to George Russell in qualifying was amplified when it comes to grid positions. With a really intently matched efficiency package deal, even shedding just a few tenths may price a number of positions. This dynamic magnified the distinction between the 2 Mercedes drivers.
The pinnacle of monitor engineering, Andrew Shovlin, defined that Hamilton’s difficulties have been primarily resulting from a automobile that wasn’t very quick and had a setup window that was too slender. Some might rightfully level out that these points additionally affected George Russell.
One of many technical traits of the W15 was its tendency to lock the brakes throughout braking, a characteristic that didn’t swimsuit Hamilton’s driving type, particularly because the former McLaren driver prefers {smooth} braking. Moreover, the automobile tended to take not-so-smooth racing strains exiting corners, behaving nearly “in jerks,” one other issue not consistent with Hamilton’s driving type. In races the place these points have been overcome, like Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps, and even Las Vegas, Lewis managed to carry his personal and ship robust performances. Nevertheless, the issue was that the automobile couldn’t carry out like this constantly over the course of the 24 races.
Many drivers who are likely to excel at braking have confronted difficulties with the new-generation automobiles. Hamilton’s points have been evident in all three years of most of these automobiles. So, are the traits of ground-effect automobiles one thing the British champion has by no means absolutely tailored to? In line with Shovlin, that isn’t the answer to the puzzle.
Within the engineer’s opinion, the issue stemmed from a attribute that has plagued Mercedes automobiles over the previous three years: getting the automobile to rotate whereas stopping overheating of the rear tires. Actually, final yr Hamilton had complained extensively concerning the rear finish of the W14, even elevating doubts concerning the automobile’s design philosophy. These considerations grew so massive and convincing that the creator of that automobile, Mike Elliott, was successfully sidelined from the group till his contract was terminated.
Lewis Hamilton’s driving type exacerbated the issues on a single lap. The problem in retaining the rear tires inside the very best operational window was felt considerably this season, resulting in a transparent inner defeat when it comes to pushing on a lap.
George Russell demonstrated higher adaptability to the traits of the Silver Arrow. It’s not that Hamilton didn’t attempt to use setups much like his teammate’s, however the outcomes have been nearly by no means passable. Lewis’ issues turned evident when pushing to the utmost on a quick lap. It was in these circumstances – and we noticed this repeatedly within the dynamic conduct of the W15 – that the difficulties with the rear finish turned obvious.
The automobile tended to snap into oversteer, forcing Lewis to “struggle” from the middle of the nook to the exit, which triggered him to lose valuable hundredths of a second in every flip. This conduct was due each to the setups and to how the quick lap was ready with rear tires that weren’t completely within the thermal window.
Mercedes, based on Shovlin himself, didn’t constantly present a automobile that allowed Lewis to achieve the restrict based mostly on his driving type. It wasn’t simple to enter an excellent steadiness window and, particularly for Lewis, as soon as that window was reached, it wasn’t simple to keep up it. This explains weekends that began nicely when it comes to setup however ended poorly with an incapability to adapt to a altering monitor. These points pale when the distances elevated. On race tempo, Hamilton usually confirmed that he was forward of his teammate, however monitor place strongly penalized him as a result of he generally needed to recuperate many positions, provided that he didn’t all the time make it into Q3, one thing Russell managed with extra consistency.
Lewis Hamilton and his prospects at Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton arrives at Ferrari hoping to discover a automobile – presently referred to as Undertaking 677 – that’s extra easy and has a wider operational window, enabling him to be quick within the race – one thing that occurs comparatively simply – but in addition in qualifying.
On the one lap, the British driver will doubtless face one of the best qualifier on the grid, that means the interior battle may flip right into a form of nightmare for the seven-time world champion. In 2024, Charles Leclerc, whereas beating Carlos Sainz, often confirmed some problem in getting the Pirelli tires into the correct window.
A number of work was achieved with Callum Frith, Ferrari’s tire chief, however not all difficulties have been overcome. The Ferrari SF-24, at one level, took a growth path that wasn’t solely suited to the Monegasque driver’s type, which considerably resembles Hamilton’s. Like Lewis, Charles prefers a extra strong entrance finish with a rear finish that’s simpler to manage.
The rear axle must be guided with out exhibiting the jerky actions Shovlin talked about. With the updates launched through the summer time, Ferrari turned a automobile that was much less susceptible to understeer and simpler to drive with a rear finish beneath management; this helped Charles, who within the second half of 2024 was the motive force who collected probably the most factors of all the opposite contenders.
Subsequent yr, Ferrari could have two drivers who, typically, desire a automobile with very particular traits, in contrast to what occurred in 2024 with Carlos Sainz, who tends to favor barely understeering automobiles. Clearly, this divergence in driving kinds has additionally mirrored within the growth path taken by the Maranello engineers and technicians. Subsequent yr, nevertheless, the trail to comply with can be a single one: each drivers may benefit from this technical situation.
Clearly, we shouldn’t have a crystal ball, nor will we intend to make predictions about what the interior battle at Ferrari will yield, but it surely’s doable to think about that the 2025 automobile, if it follows the developments seen within the remaining months of the 2024 season, may very well be a device that enables Hamilton to beat the difficulties encountered over the past world championship.
Then again, Ferrari additionally has some small points to deal with, as group principal Frederic Vasseur mentioned through the end-of-year press convention. Resolving the thermal administration points with the tires which have often emerged is essential to keep away from the sinusoidal sample that characterised the 2024 season.
At Maranello, they wish to keep away from the highs and lows that finally weighed on the constructors’ championship battle, they usually intend to arrange a quick automobile proper from the beginning, one that may develop despite the fact that beginning January 1, it is going to be doable to work on the brand new era automobiles that may characterize the 2026 championship.
Lewis Hamilton hopes to discover a automobile that isn’t as temperamental because the final three he needed to drive beneath the Mercedes banner. We’ll see if Ferrari’s technicians can succeed on this endeavor and if the difficulties the British champion confronted final yr have been actually technical and never, as critics declare, resulting from a driver on the decline.
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