When Lewis Hamilton joins Ferrari in 2025, he’ll undoubtedly really feel as if he’s crossing into enemy territory. Over the course of his illustrious Components 1 profession, Hamilton has constantly discovered himself in intense battles towards the Scuderia for the game’s most prestigious titles.
From the very starting of his F1 journey, Lewis Hamilton was thrust into fierce competitors with Ferrari. In his rookie season, he contested the championship towards Kimi Raikkonen, in addition to his McLaren teammate, Fernando Alonso. Kimi Raikkonen in the end claimed the title in one of the vital dramatic comebacks in F1 historical past, clinching it by a mere level. The next yr, with Alonso departed and Kimi Raikkonen struggling, Lewis Hamilton discovered himself going head-to-head with Felipe Massa for the crown. The heartache was palpable for Massa’s engineer, Rob Smedley, who was visibly devastated after Lewis Hamilton’s essential last-lap move on Timo Glock within the Brazilian Grand Prix sealed Massa’s title loss.
Because the years progressed, Ferrari remained a continuing rival to Lewis Hamilton. From 2010 onwards, Sebastian Vettel and Purple Bull dominated the game, however the British driver and Ferrari continued their rivalry via quite a few intense encounters, together with a number of controversial moments with Massa and shut championship duels with Ferrari’s new recruit, Fernando Alonso.
In 2012, Lewis Hamilton made the choice to go away McLaren for Mercedes. By the point the turbo-hybrid period of F1 started, Lewis Hamilton was within the excellent place to dominate the game, whereas Ferrari struggled to provide a automobile able to difficult Mercedes. It wasn’t till 2017 that Ferrari offered a automobile aggressive sufficient to really deal with Lewis Hamilton’s dominance. In that season, Sebastian Vettel got here inside 46 factors of Lewis Hamilton, and though the margin was wider in 2018, with Lewis Hamilton main by 88 factors, it hardly tells the total story of simply how shut the battle was. For a good portion of that season, the four-time F1 world champion was truly forward within the standings, having secured a victory at Lewis Hamilton’s dwelling race at Silverstone.
After the heartbreak of 2018, Ferrari made a pivotal determination to overtake their driver lineup. They changed the veteran Kimi Raikkonen with their rising star, Charles Leclerc, who had impressed throughout his rookie season at Sauber. The crew had additionally thought of Kevin Magnussen as a possible candidate, however it was Charles Leclerc who earned a promotion to the Scuderia.
Leclerc’s first season with Ferrari in 2019 was marked by a transparent shift within the crew’s dynamics, as he completed forward of Sebastian Vettel by 24 factors, regardless of the slim hole. Leclerc’s standout performances included wins in Belgium and, most notably, Italy, whereas the German driver triumphed on the Marina Bay road circuit.
Simply earlier than the beginning of the delayed 2020 season, Ferrari made the shock announcement that Vettel can be leaving the crew, with Carlos Sainz taking his place. In line with F1 journalist Mark Hughes, Sebastian Vettel’s departure had turn into inevitable after he was bested by his Monegasque teammate. The Italian facet had begun to doubt whether or not Vettel might match the tempo of the seven-time Components 1 world champion, a suspicion that had lingered since their title battles. Leclerc’s rise had successfully sidelined Vettel, leaving the German remoted inside the crew. Vettel would end his F1 profession with Aston Martin earlier than retiring.
Sebastian Vettel, the youngest four-time world champion in F1 historical past, was unable so as to add to his spectacular tally of titles throughout the last years of his profession. Nonetheless, regardless of falling in need of his final objective with Ferrari, Vettel instructions deep respect from his friends. Fernando Alonso has hailed him as a “nice champion” upon the announcement of his retirement, and Lewis Hamilton has usually spoken of the previous Ferrari man as “excess of only a driver.”
The truth is, Lewis Hamilton’s relationship with Sebastian Vettel has grown hotter over time. Earlier than his transfer to Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton even reached out to Vettel for recommendation concerning Ferrari engineer Riccardo Adami, who labored with Sebastian Vettel throughout his time on the Scuderia. This gesture highlights the mutual respect and camaraderie that has developed between the 2 drivers as their careers have progressed.
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