Hamilton buzz shows Formula 1 fans are in for a treat this season

Formula 1 garnered plenty of attention last season, with fans clamouring to engage with the series on streaming platforms and social media.

That point was highlighted to perfection at the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix as the race became the most watched European F1 event ever in the United States.

Many F1 fans utilised ExpressVPN software to circumnavigate geo-blocking restrictions to ensure they could access the most reliable live streams.

They will be clamouring to engage with F1 again in 2025 given the number of intriguing storylines which will underpin what promises to be a trilling campaign.

Ferrari will undoubtedly play a key role in the narrative after adding seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton to their driver line-up.

Hamilton’s first testing session with the team sparked a massive buzz, and it will be intriguing to watch how things develop this season.

Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur got the iconic Italian team heading in the right direction last season, and adding Hamilton into the mix could fire things into another stratosphere.

The British star heads into the new F1 campaign bidding to move ahead of Michael Schumacher on to eight world title successes.

He is also aiming to become only the second driver to win championships with three different constructors after Juan Manuel Fangio.

However, there are plenty of obstacles standing in Hamilton’s way including Max Verstappen, who is striving to win his fifth consecutive world title.

The Red Bull driver has dominated proceedings in recent seasons, although he did show signs of vulnerability during the most recent campaign.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will be gunning to overhaul Verstappen this season after combining to help McLaren win the 2024 Constructor’s title last term.

With several other potential subplots also likely to be in play, the 2025 season could be one of the most thrilling in recent memory.

Another element which will come into play will be the dynamic between Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc, who is well established with the Ferrari team.

He is familiar with the inner workings of the team and a proven race winner. All that is missing from his career CV is a world title victory.

While Hamilton’s move to Ferrari brings together two of the biggest brands in motorsport, Leclerc will be eager to demonstrate his championship credentials.

Respected F1 journalist Peter Windsor believes it would be foolish to think that Hamilton will be the top driver at Ferrari given Leclerc’s previous experience with the team.

Much will depend on how each of the drivers adapt to Ferrari’s 2025 car, which is scheduled to be unveiled in Maranello on February 19.

“If the car is good, I think Charles would win the championship,” Windsor said. “If there’s a championship to be won by a Ferrari that’s good enough to win a championship, I think it’ll be Leclerc that’ll do that.

“I think given that car, Lewis will also win races, for sure. But if it’s a bad car, again, I think Charles will probably have the better of Lewis, over a season.

“If you’re thinking that the Lewis at Ferrari is going to be the Lewis that was dominating races at Mercedes, think again.

“The reason he was dominating at Mercedes is because he had a very good teammate that allowed him to do that, for most of the time. “He also had a great car – a great car.”