Lewis Hamilton arrived in Maranello on Monday morning. Your entire Ferrari F1 workforce 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 essentially the most profitable driver within the historical past of System 1, an indisputable fact. His expertise has taken him to victory on each observe on the planet. Now, at 40 years previous, it’s time to enter the realm of legends. To do that, there was just one possibility: to drive for Ferrari.
The Englishman left behind a “secure spot” the place he may have completed his profession comfortably. He had nothing extra to show. As an alternative, pushed by a predatory intuition and childhood goals, the British driver wished to face the ultimate problem of his profession. Profitable with Ferrari has a unique taste. If, as all supporters of the Prancing Horse anticipate, he manages to carry the championship again to Maranello, he’ll turn into a residing legend. The primary strategy passed off in current days: a go to to the manufacturing unit, simulator classes, and a shakedown on the observe with the 2023 season automotive.
Lewis Hamilton was capable of check the Brembo brakes, on which he expressed a really optimistic opinion. Because of Italian expertise, the aim 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 discover ways to finest use the Italian energy unit. Reaching the right “guide 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 automotive. Undoubtedly the weakest one produced within the wing automotive period. Nonetheless, driving it was implausible for Lewis Hamilton. Clearly excited, the Briton accomplished a lowered work program. About thirty laps the place he turned accustomed to the varied controls and, on the identical time, began to get to know the Maranello workforce’s working methodology. Though it’s at all times essential to get on observe, 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 give attention to the work to be achieved. 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 effectively conscious of how sophisticated it’s for the Italian tire producer to work on the brand new era of tires and not using a automotive regulated by the upcoming algorithm. That’s why they’ll permit groups to make use of a modified 2024 automotive for this event. The seven-time F1 world champion will thus drive the Ferrari SF-24 in February.
That is the automotive that allowed Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to struggle for the constructors’ title till the final System 1 Grand Prix on the 5.281-kilometre Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. A extremely good automotive, the idea for the automotive that shall be unveiled on January nineteenth by way of broadcast, after which seen on observe at Fiorano for the primary pre-season run. The anticipation is kind of excessive, there’s no denying it, as a result of testing the SF-24 will present the primary essential suggestions for Lewis Hamilton, waiting for the 2025 System 1 championship. In the meantime, nonetheless, the check earlier automotive programme will begin subsequent Tuesday on the Catalan observe, the place Lewis Hamilton’s chemistry with the purple automotive will proceed to develop.
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