Fred Vasseur has admitted that he made his move to sign Lewis Hamilton for Ferrari before 2024 pre-season testing ‘on purpose’ in a bid to galvanise his squad. The signing rocked the F1 paddock and left Toto Wolff blindsided, with Mercedes left scrambling to identify the seven-time world champion’s successor.

The timing of Hamilton’s move was a curious one. Rarely do drivers announce their moves to another team ahead of the season. In a hectic market in 2024, only Hamilton and new Sauber recruit Nico Hulkenberg sealed their switches early in the year. The latter’s new team-mate, Gabriel Bortoleto, was only confirmed in early November after a drawn-out saga.

During the latest season of Netflix’s Drive to Survive docuseries, Vasseur confessed: “With the timing, I did it on purpose. I did it because, for us, it was important to attack the season with that behind us. So we did it completely deliberately, and I think it was a good decision.”

The switch to Ferrari has given not just the team a boost, but Hamilton also. The seven-time world champion endured the toughest season of his glittering career in 2024 despite winning two races, and was lacking confidence in his qualifying pace during the closing stages of the campaign.

In his new environment, the Brit feels reinvigorated. “I think how you start often is very important,” he said after pre-season testing. “This past month couldn’t have gone any different and it couldn’t have gone any better.

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“Things along the way, they had to happen. Barcelona had to happen. Every day has been significant and about building foundations. While we had to cram a lot in a small space of time, we haven’t rushed it.

“We’ve still taken our time, we’ve just been working flat out in the days – long, long, long days. That’s what we’re here for. It’s felt seamless, it’s felt easy in a sense of gelling with the team. We’ve not had to force it, it’s done it in its own time, and I feel at home.”

One year on from his bombshell announcement, Hamilton has completed his first pre-season as a Ferrari driver, testing a radically new SF-25 machine with new team-mate Charles Leclerc.

The Prancing Horse suffered worrying tyre degradation on long runs during the final sessions of the three-day test, leaving them in a precarious position heading into the season opener in Melbourne next weekend. However, Hamilton’s commitment to the cause is absolute, and his spirit has not been dampened as he prepares for his Ferrari debut.