• Russell, 27, was team-mates with Hamilton, 40, for three seasons at Mercedes 
• Lewis will now partner Charles Leclerc in the Brit’s first season at Ferrari 
• Hamilton chose the Prancing Horse after Mercedes fell behind Red Bull 

George Russell has predicted how he thinks Lewis Hamilton will fare against Charles Leclerc following the seven-time world champion’s move to Ferrari.

Russell, 27, was team-mates with Hamilton, 40, for three seasons at Mercedes before the latter’s move to Maranello.

The younger of the two British drivers had his say about how Hamilton’s battle with Leclerc could unfold ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix next Sunday.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Sport, Russell said: ‘Charles is a fantastic driver, no doubt about that, so I’m going to be really intrigued to see how that pans out because they’re two amazing drivers’.

‘He’s obviously entering an Italian team where Charles has been very much the number one for the past six years.

‘It’s quite an interesting dynamic, but I think it’ll be close between the two of them.’

Hamilton chose to swap the Silver Arrows for the Prancing Horse after Mercedes fell behind Red Bull when it came to having the fastest car on the grid.

After winning four World Drivers’ Championships between 2017 and 2020, Hamilton watched Dutch rival Max Verstappen achieve the same with Red Bull from 2021 to 2024.

Hamilton’s departure opened up the number one seat for Russell at Mercedes and will see him joined by rookie driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Monegasque driver Leclerc will seek to build on his three wins from last season as he chases a maiden drivers’ title.

The 27-year-old will face stiff competition in the form of Hamilton – with both men seeking to become the first Ferrari driver to win a championship since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.

The manufacturer are also hopeful of lifting their first Constructors’ World Championship since 2008, when Raikkonen was partnered by Felipe Massa.

That season marked Hamilton’s first world title, after he stole the crown from Massa’s grasp on the last lap of the final race of the season at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Following a move to Italy, Hamilton will hope that he can become the first-ever driver to win eight Drivers’ Championships.

Ferrari are reportedly one of two teams – the other being McLaren – expecting factory visits from FIA delegates – after Red Bull prepared an ‘official and accusatory file’ about the teams’ rear wings. The FIA clamped down on rear-wing flexibility last season after onboard footage from Oscar Piastri’s MCL38 machine at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix showed the component flexing under load on the straights.

This was dubbed the ‘mini-DRS’ effect and was a common technical talking point for the teams. This was outlawed from the Singapore Grand Prix onwards last year, but Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache was left furious after pre-season testing. “It’s still happening,” he told The Race. “I believe Ferrari and McLaren are persisting with the mini-DRS tactics.”

Now, the FIA will take action after Red Bull filed an ‘official and accusatory file’ against two of their biggest title rivals. According to a report from Italian publication FUnoAnalisiTechnica, delegates of the sport’s governing body will visit the factories in Woking and Maranello before the start of the season next weekend.

This will mean nervous waits for Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton. The two Brits are targeting the Drivers’ Championship title this season after successful pre-season tests, although they face competition from Ferrari and Red Bull.

“In my opinion, it will be a three-way or four-way battle between McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari and us,” he told German news outlet Sport.de. “Although, if you look at the test results, McLaren already has a head start. That was the case in both the short and long runs. The current favourite is clearly McLaren.”

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Asked to discuss the size of the gap between McLaren and Red Bull, he continued: “It’s hard to say exactly what that looks like, because the weather conditions were completely out of the norm. It was cold, there was strong wind. It was even raining.

Met Gala chair, co-producer on a Brad Pitt movie, activist, and now Ferrari driver.

Lewis Hamilton‘s impact stretches far beyond Formula 1 and his quest to win a record-breaking eighth world title with his new team.

The partnership of F1’s biggest celebrity — and only Black driver — with its biggest brand reaches people who don’t consider themselves F1 fans, and may not even have watched a race.

A 13-month countdown

In some respects, Hamilton’s move is already a marketing triumph. He won’t race for Ferrari until next week in Australia, ending 13 months of hype since he announced his decision to leave Mercedes.

“Obviously the commercial success and the success for Ferrari’s brand has been unprecedented,” Michael E. Sawyer, author of an upcoming biography of Hamilton, “Sir Lewis,” told The Associated Press. “It just makes the brand that much more iconic. It’s always been about pushing boundaries.”

Expectations are high, too, around Hamilton’s potential impact in Italy in terms of representation and creating opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds.

“When it was announced that (Hamilton) was in Ferrari, the industry started thinking, especially in fashion, that things would start changing,” Michelle Francine Ngonmo, the founder of Afro Fashion Week Milano and an advocate for diversity in Italian fashion, told the AP.

Hamilton’s first photos as a Ferrari employee were curated to perfection. His sometimes-playful fashion sense took a traditional turn with a sharp double-breasted suit as he posed in front of company founder Enzo Ferrari’s house.

A fast start, or time to adapt?

Hamilton’s celebrity status extended beyond F1 years ago. Where other drivers arrive for a race weekend in branded team gear, he turns up in high fashion.

His friendships with influential fashion figures, involvement with the Met Gala — he’s a chair for this year’s event in May — and a co-producer role on the upcoming Hollywood movie “F1” all allow Hamilton to reach non-sports audiences in a way other drivers can’t.

With so much attention on their new partnership, the 40-year-old Hamilton and Ferrari could risk disappointment if he doesn’t win the long-sought-after eighth title.

Hamilton was broadly on pace with rivals and his teammate Charles Leclerc over three days of preseason testing in Bahrain last week. Still, Hamilton said he and Ferrari have “definitely got some work to do to improve.”

Hamilton has indicated he needs time to adapt, but one key rival has argued a successful start will be key to keep Ferrari’s passionate fans on board.

“They’ll love him if he’s quick and he delivers and he’ll feed off that energy,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said last month. “If it doesn’t get off to a good start, then it’ll inevitably be harder for him.”

Activism and representation

Hamilton has always brought his own perspective to the sport.

His advocacy on racism, police violence, LGBTQ rights and environmental causes has reached audiences around the world, and put the spotlight on human rights in many of the countries where F1 goes racing.

Hamilton also spent his time at Mercedes working behind the scenes to increase inclusion within the team and promote science and technology careers among children from diverse backgrounds. He said last year he wanted to do the same at Ferrari and that the team was “super excited” to participate. No details have been released yet.

“It would be great for the community here in Italy to actually see these kind of initiatives being implemented, going beyond the words,” Ngonmo said.

The size and potentially long-term nature of Ferrari’s commitment to Hamilton is a sign the company “understands without any question the things that he’s concerned about,” said Sawyer, Hamilton’s biographer. “I think Ferrari and Lewis went into this with their eyes open. They know exactly what they’re doing.”

Belonging in Italy

Sawyer, who is associate professor of African American literature and culture at the University of Pittsburgh, said one way to illustrate Hamilton’s impact in Italy was in comparison with soccer greats.

The buzz around Hamilton is similar to when Diego Maradona played for Napoli in the 1980s, Sawyer suggested, but also cautioned that Italy hasn’t always treated Black athletes warmly, pointing to the racism faced by Italian soccer player Mario Balotelli.

In an interview with Time last month, Hamilton said he’s thought about soccer racism in Italy in the context of joining Ferrari. “I’m not going to lie, it definitely crossed my mind when I was thinking about my decision,” he said.

“Like in so many things, it’s often such a small group of people that set that trend for many. I don’t think that it’s going to be a problem.”

One way Hamilton has already endeared himself to Italians is by using Italian words and phrases in interviews, something Ngonmo welcomes.

“I think he is trying to make people understand,” she said, “that Italy could be a place where everyone can belong.”

Het besluit van Ferrari om meervoudig Grand Prix-winnaar Carlos Sainz te vervangen door Lewis Hamilton kon niet alleen op veel verbazing en enthousiasme rekenen. Ook de aandelenkoers van het Italiaanse team schoot meteen omhoog met maar liefst zeven miljard euro. Veel analisten riepen de overstap van de zevenvoudig wereldkampioen daarom meteen uit tot een succes, maar volgens Ferrari-voorzitter John Elkann is dat iets te kort door de bocht.

“Ik denk dat het echt oneerlijk is tegenover Lewis, dat sommige commentatoren zeggen: ‘Dit is een marketingstrategie’,” vertelt de voorzitter aan Time Magazine. “Lewis heeft dat niet nodig. Ferrari heeft dat niet nodig.” Elkann benadrukt dat Hamilton naar Ferrari is gehaald vanwege zijn sportieve prestaties. “Wat we wel nodig hebben is om kampioenschappen te winnen en om samen geweldige dingen te doen op het circuit.”

Risico

Voormalig Ferrari-topman Luca di Montezemolo bevestigt Elkanns uitspraken. “Hamiltons komst bij Ferrari is meer dan een marketingplan. Hij wil zijn carrière afsluiten door nog een keertje in het rood te winnen”, vertelt de Italiaanse zakenman aan Radio GR Parlamento.

“De keuze voor Hamilton is aan de ene kant natuurlijk juist een risico, omdat je een kampioen binnenhaalt die al zoveel heeft gewonnen. Aan de andere kant heb je echter Charles Leclerc, die ondanks allerlei goede races nog nooit een titel heeft gewonnen.” Di Montezemolo voorspelt in ieder geval een ‘interessant jaar’ voor de Scuderia.

De seizoenspecial van FORMULE 1 Magazine is uit! Ruim 100 pagina’s, met onder andere een interview met Red Bull-teambaas Christian Horner, reportages met en over Liam Lawson en Carlos Sainz. Verder een vooruitblik op komend seizoen met Jan Lammers en Jeroen Bleekemolen. En, natuurlijk, alle teams, coureurs, circuits, GP’s en tijdschema’s. Een onmisbaar naslagwerk voor iedere F1-liefhebber. Bestel ‘m nu alvast online, met gratis bezorging in heel Nederland.

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There is an inexact measurement that may prove a lot more significant than the obvious pros and cons from Lewis Hamilton’s first Formula 1 pre-season test with Ferrari.

Hamilton ended three days in Bahrain second fastest, quicker than new team-mate Charles Leclerc, albeit with one of the lowest lap counts – only the Red Bull pairing of Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson, and an unwell Lance Stroll, managed fewer laps – and with no real long run preparation.

Perhaps more importantly Hamilton also looked at ease in the car and – caveated though this may be – some initial data analysis indicates no obvious sign of the chief problem that plagued him at Ferrari.

Hamilton’s own speed against Leclerc is difficult to judge from different times of the day, given varying run plans and weather conditions. Plus, Hamilton was getting to grips with a new car so not yet at the point where he knew where to search for the last couple of tenths.

That pursuit of the final bit of performance where a car that feels quite good, or a driver that seems in control, can tip over into trouble.

Caveats considered, so much is riding on his performance that drawing initial conclusions is inevitable. And on the surface some basic ones would therefore be that Hamilton seems pretty competitive in the car, although he is missing some crucial knowledge and has not had the smoothest time in his and Ferrari’s effort to expedite his adaptation.

The big question is whether the ghosts of his Mercedes farewell have followed Hamilton to Ferrari. This move is meant to revive the end of the seven-time world champion’s career after his trophy-laden Mercedes stint came to a disappointing conclusion – partly because its ground-effect cars have never been good enough to fight for a title but also because Hamilton in particular really struggled to gel with them.

Hamilton’s natural way of attacking corner entries on the brake has not been a good fit for a combination of cars and tyres that have been too easily on a knife edge.

These cars have a tendency to suffer entry understeer and mid-corner instability as the ground effect is reduced when the car slows down so the grip shifts from the rear to the front as the car goes through the corner.

Plus, modern Pirelli tyres do not respond well to any kind of slip; if the front axle slides due to initial understeer and then the rear axle slides due to mid-corner instability, it results in a compounded problem. Tyre temperatures can spike and the grip reduces further.

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Elements of this are obviously intrinsic to the current rules. Hamilton admits his natural style has clashed with what the cars need, and he has not been able to adapt as well as others, so that’s been a limitation on his part. Hence a theory that Hamilton might face a fundamental clash in this era.Ferrari searching for balance and answers at end of F1 test

Another theory, though, is that the Mercedes cars Hamilton drove brought the worst of these tendencies to the surface because they were so unpredictable. Even George Russell suffered from the extreme balance swings that could be encountered.

The early verdict of how Hamilton feels in the Ferrari is that there’s work for him and his team to do, something that Hamilton himself admits, but he is “really enjoying” the car. That is already a departure from before, when Hamilton admitted he hated the current era of cars.

When Hamilton was looking a little bit limited on-track, particularly in the first couple of days, that came primarily in a phase of Ferrari working through a run plan that didn’t include set-up changes to give Hamilton a better feeling in the car.

Hamilton feels the car is underneath him, and responding to his inputs, though. Hence while avoiding making any competitive prediction before his final half-day in the car on Friday, Hamilton had been willing to say it was “the most positive feeling I’ve had in a long time”.

It was always possible that a switch to Ferrari would mitigate the worst aspects of what Hamilton experienced, as the Ferraris have generally shown more tolerance for a ‘brake late and turn hard’ style than the Mercedes.

In Bahrain, Hamilton did not seem to have an awkward transition from braking to turn in into the tricky Turn 10 left-hander which, at times, the two Mercedes drivers were. That corner is very awkward as drivers are trying to scrub speed off from the quick Turn 9 left-hander that precedes it, all the while the track drops down and the corner gets ever-tighter.

The fact track conditions were different between Hamilton’s runs and Leclerc’s impacts Hamilton’s own reference for how to finesse his driving further in the Ferrari much less our ability to accurately compare the two.

But their fastest laps from day two, for example, were very similar – with no obvious hint of Hamilton overdoing it corner entry and then bleeding laptime on the exit. He compared well to Leclerc in this regard, gaining time through Turn 1 in particular.

The limited data that exists would suggest Hamilton was braking slightly later than Leclerc, and probably slightly harder as he slowed down to a lower minimum speed, but crucially was getting the car rotated enough to get back on the power earlier. So what speed and laptime was sacrified mid-corner was compensated, or eclipsed, by the time gained under braking and on exit.

There are also hints of a similar throttle and brake overlap from Hamilton as Leclerc has used to such good effect in the Ferrari. So when Hamilton trails a little bit of throttle while braking into a corner, perhaps that is rewarded in the Ferrari – or at least not triggering a problem like it may have in the Mercedes?

It is too early to commit to anything being a clear trend. And the Australian Grand Prix will offer a better indicator. But if Hamilton’s typical driving style is working more like it would have pre-2022, that is very significant.

Ultimately, there were limitations to what Hamilton could work through in this test. Having followed the team’s programme on the first couple of days the final day was meant to be an opportunity for him to start to push the car more, play with the set-up, and of course finally do some real long running to understand how the car behaves in a race stint.

In this respect, the test was not as successful as it could have been. And it means Hamilton goes to Australia slightly underprepared.

But he is very happy with what he called the “foundation” for his season, for which the compatibility between how Hamilton likes to drive and what the Ferrari needs will be critical.