Few teams in Formula 1 command as much passion and prestige as Ferrari, and next season, things are set to get taken to another stratosphere. That’s because veteran seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will be featuring in the famed scarlet red following his move from Mercedes. But can he manage to roll back the years at the age of 40 and deliver one final masterclass, this time for the Scuderia?
One Last Hurrah
The bookies fancy Hamilton’s chances. The latest F1 betting odds currently make the mercurial Brit an 11/2 contender for the title next term. In fact, he is the third favourite overall, narrowly behind reigning four-time champion Max Verstappen, compatriot Lando Norris, and teammate Charles Leclerc.
Online betting sites also fancy the team as a whole for success, with Ferrari the 5/4 outright favourite for the constructors crown next season. If one were to place a bet on Hamilton to have the dream debut campaign, winning the driver’s title and his team winning the constructor’s, a bet calculator shows that a £10 wager would pay £146.25. Not bad at all.
When Hamilton decided to make the move to Maranello, the sporting world stood still. The Stevenage-born star’s relationship with his now-former Mercedes team was a storied one, resulting in six driver’s titles and eight constructor’s crowns. Now, however, LH44 will look to set the outright championship record by claiming title number eight, taking him one clear of former Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher.
Whether that actually transpires or not remains to be seen. One thing that is for certain however is that if Hamilton can follow in the footsteps of this iconic Ferrari debut, a promising season is certainly just around the corner.
2️⃣1️⃣ / 1️⃣0️⃣/ 0️⃣7️⃣#OnThisDay Kimi Raikkonen clinched his World Championship title by just 𝗼𝗻𝗲 point at the Brazilian Grand Prix! 🏆🍾pic.twitter.com/5eQvpVDFRM
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) October 21, 2023
Kimi Räikkönen
Kimi Räikkönen’s arrival at Ferrari in 2007 came with high expectations. The cool and composed Finn had big shoes to fill, replacing the then-record seven-time champion Michael Schumacher following his retirement at the end of the 2006 season after an astonishing career with the team. From day one, Räikkönen proved he was up to the challenge.
The Iceman’s debut started in stunning fashion, winning from pole in Australia and sending a clear message to the rest of the grid. However, he wasn’t about to have it all his own way. McLaren had built a dream team of reigning double-world champion Fernando Alonso and rookie Lewis Hamilton, and the two teammates went head-to-head in a battle for the crown. The two drivers traded victories, but their partnership quickly turned sour, and they couldn’t manage to knock Räikkönen out of contention.
In fact, the Iceman came alive in China. Hamilton had one hand on the title in the penultimate race of the season in China, only to beach his car in the gravel trap en route to the pits. That meant he retired his car, while Räikkönen went on to win, setting up a final race decider in Brazil.
There, the British rookie had further difficulties, this time with an engine problem that left him at the back of the grid on the opening lap. Räikkönen would go on to win again with Alonso in third, and that was enough to seal the championship, finishing one point clear of both McLarens. The triumph remains Ferrari’s last driver’s championship and if Hamilton is to win a record-breaking eighth crown in 2024, he will be ending an 18-year drought in the process.
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