Lewis Hamilton arrived in Maranello on Monday morning. Your complete Ferrari F1 group welcomed him with open arms, giving him a reception worthy of a Member of the British Empire. That is exactly the title that the Briton was awarded by Queen Elizabeth herself a number of years in the past. It’s no small honor. Sir Lewis is essentially the most profitable driver within the historical past of Method 1, an indisputable fact. His expertise has taken him to victory on each observe on the planet. Now, at 40 years previous, it’s time to enter the realm of legends. To do that, there was just one choice: to drive for Ferrari.
The Englishman left behind a “protected spot” the place he may have completed his profession comfortably. He had nothing extra to show. As an alternative, pushed by a predatory intuition and childhood goals, the British driver wished to face the ultimate problem of his profession. Successful with Ferrari has a special taste. If, as all supporters of the Prancing Horse anticipate, he manages to carry the championship again to Maranello, he’ll change into a residing legend. The primary strategy happened in current days: a go to to the manufacturing facility, simulator periods, and a shakedown on the observe with the 2023 season automobile.
Lewis Hamilton was in a position to take a look at the Brembo brakes, on which he expressed a really optimistic opinion. Due to Italian know-how, the objective is to unravel the qualifying issues he confronted final season, when, with Mercedes, he used Carbon Industries brakes throughout braking. There was additionally the primary shut encounter with the PU 066/12. A type of lesson to learn to greatest use the Italian energy unit. Reaching the proper “guide reminiscence” to completely exploit the facility unit with its numerous controls is not going to be simple. He’s additionally engaged on this within the simulator.
The Ferrari SF-23 single-seater wasn’t an incredible automobile. Undoubtedly the weakest one produced within the wing automobile period. Nevertheless, driving it was implausible for Lewis Hamilton. Clearly excited, the Briton accomplished a diminished work program. About thirty laps the place he grew to become conversant in the assorted controls and, on the similar time, began to get to know the Maranello group’s working methodology. Though it’s all the time vital to get on observe, subsequent week on the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, as we had beforehand anticipated, Lewis Hamilton will face a considerably extra demanding take a look at.
He’ll have extra time to deal with the work to be performed. Charles Leclerc may even be current with him. One other fascinating element considerations the take a look at organized by Pirelli for the 2026 tires. The Worldwide Federation is nicely conscious of how difficult it’s for the Italian tire producer to work on the brand new technology of tires with no automobile regulated by the upcoming algorithm. That’s why they’ll permit groups to make use of a modified 2024 automobile for this event. The seven-time F1 world champion will thus drive the Ferrari SF-24 in February.
That is the automobile that allowed Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to battle for the constructors’ title till the final Method 1 Grand Prix on the 5.281-kilometre Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. A very good automobile, the idea for the automobile that will probably be unveiled on January nineteenth through broadcast, after which seen on observe at Fiorano for the primary pre-season run. The anticipation is sort of excessive, there’s no denying it, as a result of testing the SF-24 will present the primary vital suggestions for Lewis Hamilton, looking forward to the 2025 Method 1 championship. In the meantime, nonetheless, the take a look at earlier automobile programme will begin subsequent Tuesday on the Catalan observe, the place Lewis Hamilton’s chemistry with the purple automobile will proceed to develop.
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