Lewis Hamilton is poised to make a right away impression towards reigning world champion Max Verstappen in his extremely anticipated Ferrari debut at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.
After a glittering 12-year stint with Mercedes, Hamilton, 40, goals to safe an unprecedented eighth world title, his first since 2020, following a dominant interval by Verstappen and his Red Bull crew.
The Briton’s transfer to Ferrari, a bombshell after years of dominance with Mercedes, has injected new life into his profession.
Hamilton is keen to use the teachings realized throughout 162 laps of Bahrain testing to race situations.
“I’m excited to get to Melbourne and race with Ferrari,” Hamilton mentioned. “The passion here is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. They have all the ingredients needed to win a world championship; it’s just about putting it all together.”
Hamilton, who has claimed victory twice on the Australian Grand Prix in 2008 and 2015 with McLaren and Mercedes, is decided to finish Ferrari’s drought at Albert Park.
The Scuderia has triumphed in 4 of the final six Australian races, together with 2024, when Carlos Sainz – whom Hamilton changed – secured the win forward of teammate Charles Leclerc.
Max Verstappen, who was pressured to retire final yr with a brake fireplace whereas main, is concentrated on sustaining his championship dominance.
The Dutchman, a four-time world champion, is eyeing a fifth consecutive title, a feat solely Michael Schumacher has achieved.
However, Verstappen has tempered expectations, acknowledging McLaren’s robust efficiency in Bahrain testing. “We may not be ready to fight for the win in Melbourne,” he mentioned. “McLaren looks the favorite, but we have ideas to improve.”
In a serious shake-up at Red Bull, Verstappen’s new teammate is Liam Lawson, who replaces the struggling Sergio Perez. Lawson is one in every of six drivers making their full-season debut in Australia.
Fans may even be protecting a detailed eye on Jack Doohan, the son of five-time MotoGP champion Mick, who makes his debut with Alpine.
Other rookies embrace Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli (who takes Hamilton’s seat at Mercedes), Briton Oliver Bearman (Haas), Brazil’s Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber), and Frenchman Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls).
McLaren’s Lando Norris, who led the crew to its first title in 26 years final season, is keen to hold that momentum into 2025. “This circuit has been good to us, and I hope we can build on our 2024 momentum,” he mentioned. “We had a productive test, but we won’t know where we stand until qualifying on Saturday.”
Norris warned that this season may see tighter competitors throughout the board. “There will be a lot of close racing and strong competition from teams outside of McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes.”
The Australian Grand Prix returns to its conventional spot because the season opener for the primary time in 5 years, with over 450,000 followers anticipated at Albert Park.
After the race’s shift to Bahrain as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, Melbourne is keen to reclaim its place initially of the F1 calendar.
Source: www.dailysabah.com