It’s a query that has accompanied us all through 2024 and can proceed at the very least till March: was Lewis Hamilton a technical asset for Ferrari, or was his signing pushed solely by business causes, because the fiercest critics declare?
The 2024 Components 1 championship, which concluded on December 8 with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, was not among the best for the seven-time F1 world champion, this can be a well-established reality. The optimistic side was his return to victory: he received twice, each on iconic and extremely demanding tracks like Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps. The draw back is that he as soon as once more misplaced the interior battle each in qualifying and in races. This example mirrored on the standings, with George Russell as soon as once more forward of his fellow countryman.
These info led some to consider that the British driver was on the decline. Clearly, we’re speaking a couple of driver who will flip 40 in a number of days, so it’s pure to not count on his profession to nonetheless be creating towards its peak. Nevertheless, one have to be cautious with harsh judgments, avoiding drawing maybe hasty conclusions.
Lewis Hamilton didn’t have a blended season as a result of an absence of motivation or due to an inner battle inside Mercedes after his change to Ferrari was introduced on February 1. No, the British driver paid the value because of the W15, a automotive he by no means actually linked with, particularly by way of attaining quick lap occasions, the place the sensation and symbiosis with the automotive have to be whole.
Initially, it ought to be emphasised that the typical hole Lewis Hamilton needed to George Russell in qualifying was amplified by way of grid positions. With a really intently matched efficiency bundle, even shedding a number of tenths may price a number of positions. This dynamic magnified the distinction between the 2 Mercedes drivers.
The top of monitor engineering, Andrew Shovlin, defined that Hamilton’s difficulties had been primarily as a result of a automotive that wasn’t very quick and had a setup window that was too slender. Some might rightfully level out that these points additionally affected George Russell.
One of many technical traits of the W15 was its tendency to lock the brakes throughout braking, a function that didn’t go well with Hamilton’s driving model, particularly because the former McLaren driver prefers {smooth} braking. Moreover, the automotive tended to take not-so-smooth racing strains exiting corners, behaving nearly “in jerks,” one other issue not in step with Hamilton’s driving model. In races the place these points had been overcome, like Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps, and even Las Vegas, Lewis managed to carry his personal and ship sturdy performances. Nevertheless, the issue was that the automotive couldn’t carry out like this constantly over the course of the 24 races.
Many drivers who are inclined to excel at braking have confronted difficulties with the new-generation vehicles. Hamilton’s points had been evident in all three years of all these vehicles. So, are the traits of ground-effect vehicles one thing the British champion has by no means absolutely tailored to? In accordance with Shovlin, that isn’t the answer to the puzzle.
Within the engineer’s opinion, the issue stemmed from a attribute that has plagued Mercedes vehicles over the previous three years: getting the automotive to rotate whereas stopping overheating of the rear tires. In actual fact, final 12 months Hamilton had complained extensively in regards to the rear finish of the W14, even elevating doubts in regards to the automotive’s design philosophy. These issues grew so massive and convincing that the creator of that automotive, Mike Elliott, was successfully sidelined from the group till his contract was terminated.
Lewis Hamilton’s driving model exacerbated the issues on a single lap. The issue in protecting the rear tires throughout the excellent operational window was felt considerably this season, resulting in a transparent inner defeat by way of pushing on a lap.
George Russell demonstrated higher adaptability to the traits of the Silver Arrow. It’s not that Hamilton didn’t attempt to use setups much like his teammate’s, however the outcomes had been nearly by no means passable. Lewis’ issues turned evident when pushing to the utmost on a quick lap. It was in these circumstances – and we noticed this repeatedly within the dynamic conduct of the W15 – that the difficulties with the rear finish turned obvious.
The automotive tended to snap into oversteer, forcing Lewis to “struggle” from the middle of the nook to the exit, which prompted him to lose treasured hundredths of a second in every flip. This conduct was due each to the setups and to how the quick lap was ready with rear tires that weren’t completely within the thermal window.
Mercedes, in line with Shovlin himself, did not constantly present a automotive that allowed Lewis to achieve the restrict based mostly on his driving model. It wasn’t simple to enter an excellent stability window and, particularly for Lewis, as soon as that window was reached, it wasn’t simple to keep up it. This explains weekends that began properly by way of setup however ended poorly with an lack of ability to adapt to a altering monitor. These points light when the distances elevated. On race tempo, Hamilton typically confirmed that he was forward of his teammate, however monitor place strongly penalized him as a result of he typically needed to recuperate many positions, on condition that he didn’t all the time make it into Q3, one thing Russell managed with extra consistency.
Lewis Hamilton and his prospects at Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton arrives at Ferrari hoping to discover a automotive – at the moment known as Challenge 677 – that’s extra easy and has a wider operational window, enabling him to be quick within the race – one thing that occurs comparatively simply – but in addition in qualifying.
On the one lap, the British driver will seemingly face one of the best qualifier on the grid, that means the interior battle may flip right into a form of nightmare for the seven-time world champion. In 2024, Charles Leclerc, whereas beating Carlos Sainz, sometimes confirmed some problem in getting the Pirelli tires into the best window.
Numerous work was achieved with Callum Frith, Ferrari’s tire chief, however not all difficulties have been overcome. The Ferrari SF-24, at one level, took a growth course that wasn’t solely suited to the Monegasque driver’s model, which considerably resembles Hamilton’s. Like Lewis, Charles prefers a extra stable entrance finish with a rear finish that’s simpler to regulate.
The rear axle must be guided with out exhibiting the jerky actions Shovlin talked about. With the updates launched throughout the summer time, Ferrari turned a automotive that was much less susceptible to understeer and simpler to drive with a rear finish below management; this helped Charles, who within the second half of 2024 was the motive force who collected probably the most factors of all the opposite contenders.
Subsequent 12 months, Ferrari can have two drivers who, usually, favor a automotive with very particular traits, not like what occurred in 2024 with Carlos Sainz, who tends to favor barely understeering vehicles. Clearly, this divergence in driving kinds has additionally mirrored within the growth path taken by the Maranello engineers and technicians. Subsequent 12 months, nonetheless, the trail to comply with can be a single one: each drivers may benefit from this technical situation.
Clearly, we don’t have a crystal ball, nor will we intend to make predictions about what the interior battle at Ferrari will yield, but it surely’s doable to think about that the 2025 automotive, if it follows the traits seen within the closing months of the 2024 season, could possibly be a instrument that enables Hamilton to beat the difficulties encountered over the past world championship.
However, Ferrari additionally has some small points to handle, as group principal Frederic Vasseur mentioned throughout the end-of-year press convention. Resolving the thermal administration points with the tires which have sometimes emerged is essential to keep away from the sinusoidal sample that characterised the 2024 season.
At Maranello, they wish to keep away from the highs and lows that in the end weighed on the constructors’ championship battle, and so they intend to arrange a quick automotive proper from the beginning, one that may develop although beginning January 1, it will likely be doable to work on the brand new era vehicles that may characterize the 2026 championship.
Lewis Hamilton hopes to discover a automotive that isn’t as temperamental because the final three he needed to drive below the Mercedes banner. We’ll see if Ferrari’s technicians can succeed on this endeavor and if the difficulties the British champion confronted final 12 months had been actually technical and never, as critics declare, as a result of a driver on the decline.
— see video above —
Purchase official Ferrari F1 merchandise!
Let different Scuderia Followers learn about us
