Ferrari ‘changes’ will be music to Lewis Hamilton’s ears as ally gets down to business
A former Mercedes ally of Lewis Hamilton could hold the key to the British driver putting his qualifying woes behind him at Ferrari this year. Hamilton has a total of 104 pole positions to his name, the most in F1 history with Michael Schumacher second on just 68.
His form has led to scepticism over his move to the Scuderia, having signed on a lucrative multi year-deal that will take him past his 41st birthday. Development of Ferrari’s car for 2025 is being led by French engineer Loic Serra, who worked for five years alongside Hamilton as performance director at Mercedes.
And according to the Italian edition of Motorsport.com, Serra is planning to revolutionise the design to allow Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to get the best out of their vehicles. Serra is said to specialise in vehicle dynamics, and is looking to ensure Ferrari achieve ‘maximum exploitation’ of the new Pirelli tyres for 2025.
Serra is said to want to alter the ‘basic behaviour’ of the car, which would allow Ferrari to achieve exceptional performance over both a single lap and longer distance. The team have seemingly worked very closely with Pirelli on the development of the 2025 tyres, which are expected to be less vulnerable to overheating and equipped for longer race stints.
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Serra and co are also seeking a more even weight distribution in the car, that could see Hamilton return to being formidable in qualifying and also challenge for an unprecedented eighth world title. And last week, the 40-year-old spoke publicly for the first time since ending his 12-year stint with Toto Wolff’s team .
“I could not be more excited for the year ahead. Moving to Scuderia Ferrari, there’s a lot to reflect on,” he wrote on social media. “To anyone considering their next move in 2025: embrace the change.
Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr were third and fifth respectively in the drivers’ standings last season, with the Spaniard having now joined Williams after being released to make way for Hamilton. The team was also second in the Constructors’ race, finishing just 14 points off McLaren.
Hamilton meanwhile, finished seventh, his lowest position in all his 18 seasons in F1. And in the penultimate race of the season in Qatar, he candidly admitted “I’m not fast anymore,” a comment that drew criticism.
