Lewis Hamilton has shared his expectations for Scuderia Ferrari’s fiercest competitors as the 2025 Formula 1 championship prepares to launch in Melbourne.
The Australian Grand Prix at the 5.278-kilometre Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne, will not only mark the beginning of a new campaign but also the British driver’s highly anticipated debut in Ferrari colors. As the seven-time world champion embarks on his quest for a record-breaking eighth title, the Italian side is equally determined to secure its first constructors’ championship for almost two decades
Despite the excitement surrounding his move to Maranello, Lewis Hamilton remains cautious about the challenges ahead. He anticipates both McLaren and Red Bull will be formidable contenders, making Ferrari’s title aspirations anything but straightforward. While the pre-season testing session at the Bahrain circuit has offered some early insights, Lewis Hamilton warns that its results should be taken with a “pinch of salt.”
Lewis Hamilton noted that his former team McLaren had put together an impressive run during testing and acknowledged that Max Verstappen had also delivered a solid performance despite the challenging temperatures on the final morning.
He explained to the media that it was difficult to determine the true competitive order since teams were running different fuel loads and following their own testing programmes. As a result, he cautioned against drawing definitive conclusions from the test results. However, Lewis Hamilton pointed out that McLaren had claimed the constructors’ championship the previous year, making them a strong contender for the upcoming season. He also expected Red Bull to be among the fastest teams, given their prolonged dominance in Formula 1.
Lewis Hamilton Remains Skeptical About F1 Testing but Eager to Kick Off 2025 Season
While Ferrari’s true competitiveness remains uncertain after three days of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, Lewis Hamilton has expressed his appreciation for the Scuderia’s TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) programme. The initiative has allowed him to gain valuable track time and familiarize himself with his new team before the season officially begins.
Despite this, the seven-time world champion—who boasts 105 career Grand Prix victories—is still not particularly fond of testing. He remains eager to move past the winter break and get back to real racing action at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, where he will make his highly anticipated Ferrari debut.
The Briton admitted that he remains unconvinced by the value of testing but acknowledged that he has enjoyed the sessions he participated in this year. He expressed gratitude for the additional track time provided by Ferrari’s TPC testing, emphasizing that without it, the limited day-and-a-half of official pre-season running would not have been enough for him to reach his current level of comfort with the car. While he recognized that there was still progress to be made, he made it clear that his focus was now on the excitement of returning to racing.
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