Lewis Hamilton will likely be hoping that his transfer to Ferrari in 2025 locations him in competition for his eighth Method 1 title, alongside McLaren’s Lando Norris, who can even be vying for the crown in opposition to Crimson Bull’s Max Verstappen.
After making the shock swap from Mercedes to Ferrari, Hamilton, at 40 years previous, embarks on a brand new chapter in his illustrious profession. His choice to go away Brackley follows 12 years with Mercedes, the place he secured six of his record-tying seven world championships. Hamilton’s first title got here with McLaren in 2008. Nonetheless, he hasn’t been in a title battle since 2021, when he narrowly misplaced to Verstappen in one of the dramatic finales in F1 historical past. The controversial choice by then-FIA race director Michael Masi to change the course of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix contributed to Hamilton’s heartbreak. His efficiency in 2024 additionally marked his worst championship end, with Hamilton settling for seventh.
Lewis Hamilton’s final season with Mercedes was one to neglect, as he endured his lowest-ever end within the standings. In stark distinction, Lando Norris had his best-ever season in 2024, ending second within the championship after mounting a critical problem for the title for the primary time in his profession.
Whereas Max Verstappen’s dominance continued, securing a fourth consecutive title, Norris demonstrated his potential as a critical rival. The 27-year-old Dutchman, who is thought for his relentless consistency, weathered the problem posed by McLaren and Ferrari, taking advantage of his group’s early-season kind to safe the title.
Waiting for 2025, Mike Hezemans, a revered determine in motorsport, believes that Norris enters the brand new season because the title favorite. Mike Hezemans factors to McLaren’s superior automobile, which he believes places them forward of their rivals, together with Crimson Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes. With each Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton now in groups with championship-caliber equipment, the 2025 season guarantees to be an exciting contest, with Max Verstappen’s dominance prone to face extra critical challenges than in earlier seasons.
Hezemans shared with RacingNews365 that the important thing to the 2025 title battle will rely largely on who has one of the best automobile, and it seems McLaren may as soon as once more have the benefit. He acknowledged Max Verstappen’s energy however steered that if McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes all handle to be aggressive, it may result in an thrilling season.
Whereas he regarded McLaren as nonetheless having the strongest automobile, Hezemans expressed doubt about how robust Lando Norris might be. He identified that Norris had proven spectacular kind in the previous couple of races of the earlier season and, based mostly on that, he thought-about Norris to be the pre-season favorite for the title.
Nonetheless, regardless of favouring Norris for the beginning of the season, Hezemans additionally predicted that Verstappen would seemingly safe his fifth consecutive championship. He believed that McLaren and Ferrari’s difficulty may stem from having two extremely proficient and intently matched drivers, which may create inner challenges, a scenario he known as a “downside” for each groups.
Mike Hezemans’ evaluation that McLaren and Ferrari face a ‘downside’ within the 2025 Method 1 season is legitimate, significantly with each groups fielding two drivers who’re decided to battle for the championship. This dynamic is prone to complicate issues for each outfits, as neither could have a transparent number-two driver, which in flip may give Verstappen a big benefit over his rivals.
In 2024, McLaren used group orders to permit Lando Norris to safe victory within the Brazil Dash, however such techniques might now not be viable now that Oscar Piastri can also be firmly within the title hunt. Piastri, having confirmed his skills and ambitions, will likely be aiming to keep away from being sidelined by group orders in 2025. His purpose is to determine himself as McLaren’s lead driver and problem for the title, which may result in tensions throughout the group if Norris continues to be a powerful contender.
Equally, Lewis Hamilton can’t rely on Charles Leclerc assuming a supporting position at Ferrari. With each drivers seemingly aiming for the championship, the dynamic at Maranello will likely be extremely aggressive. In the meantime, Christian Horner has already made it clear that Crimson Bull could have a special technique. The group is ready to deal with Liam Lawson as Verstappen’s designated number-two driver after selling him from the junior Racing Bulls group to switch Sergio Perez for the 2025 season. This choice creates a extra outlined hierarchy at Crimson Bull, probably giving Verstappen a clearer path to sustaining his dominance, free from the interior challenges that may undoubtedly come up at McLaren and Ferrari.
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