Lewis Hamilton arrived in Maranello on Monday morning. Your entire 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 probably the most profitable driver within the historical past of Components 1, an indisputable fact. His expertise has taken him to victory on each monitor on the earth. Now, at 40 years outdated, it’s time to enter the realm of legends.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 “secure spot” the place he might have completed his profession comfortably. He had nothing extra to show. As a substitute, 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 distinct taste. If, as all supporters of the Prancing Horse anticipate, he manages to carry the championship again to Maranello, he’ll develop into a residing legend. The primary method befell in latest days: a go to to the manufacturing facility, simulator periods, and a shakedown on the monitor with the 2023 season automobile.
Lewis Hamilton was in a position to check the Brembo brakes, on which he expressed a really optimistic opinion. Because of Italian know-how, the objective is to resolve 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 finest use the Italian energy unit. Attaining the right “handbook reminiscence” to completely exploit the facility unit with its numerous controls is not going to be straightforward. He’s additionally engaged on this within the simulator.
The Ferrari SF-23 single-seater wasn’t an important automobile. Undoubtedly the weakest one produced within the wing automobile period. Nonetheless, driving it was implausible for Lewis Hamilton. Clearly excited, the Briton accomplished a diminished work program. About thirty laps the place he turned aware of the assorted controls and, on the identical time, began to get to know the Maranello group’s working methodology. Though it’s at all times necessary to get on monitor, subsequent week on the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, as we had beforehand anticipated, Lewis Hamilton will face a considerably extra demanding check.
He’ll have extra time to deal with the work to be executed. Charles Leclerc may even be current with him. One other attention-grabbing element issues the check organized by Pirelli for the 2026 tires. The Worldwide Federation is properly 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 enable 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 combat for the constructors’ title till the final Components 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 likely be unveiled on January nineteenth through broadcast, after which seen on monitor 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 necessary suggestions for Lewis Hamilton, waiting for the 2025 Components 1 championship. In the meantime, nonetheless, the check earlier automobile programme will begin subsequent Tuesday on the Catalan monitor, the place Lewis Hamilton’s chemistry with the crimson automobile will proceed to develop.
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