Lewis Hamilton in Red, it’s getting serious
Everything is now set for Lewis Hamilton’s first season with Ferrari, which will begin next week at the Australian Grand Prix. The Melbourne circuit will see the realization of the dream of many Ferrari fans who have long wished to see the seven-time world champion in Maranello, especially during the years when #44 dominated the scene at the wheel of the Mercedes. However, in 2021, in a highly controversial championship finale, it was Max Verstappen who ended the Briton’s and Mercedes’ streak of success.
The record in sight
The only driver to have surpassed 100 victories and 100 pole positions, Lewis Hamilton’s primary goal will now be to break Michael Schumacher’s record of world titles, aiming for his eighth championship. For the first time in his career, the Englishman will compete in a season without being powered by Mercedes engines, a sight that Norbert Haug finds deeply unappealing.
Sadness in seeing him in new colors
The former head of Mercedes’ motorsport division, the German played a key role in Lewis Hamilton’s rise with McLaren under Mercedes and has expressed his disappointment at seeing him in Ferrari: “It is actually very sad for me,” he admitted to Sky Deutschland. “I never thought Lewis would change teams again. I’ve known him since he was 14 years old. There’s still a great relationship. I hadn’t seen him for years… and I don’t know. When you’ve worked with people, with drivers, for so long, it feels like the first day, as if the last meeting was just yesterday. Anyone who thinks that at 40 years old he will slow down, push the throttle less, or work less intensely is mistaken. He will give everything for Ferrari. I have complete confidence in him to deliver the highest possible performance in the race. If the car is good, why shouldn’t he fight for the eighth title?” – he pointed out.
A stolen title
Norbert Haug is convinced that Lewis Hamilton will do everything to win that eighth title, which he lost in 2021 after a controversial decision by Race Control regarding the proper implementation of the Safety Car. The ruling favored Max Verstappen’s last-lap overtake on Lewis Hamilton, securing the world title for the Dutchman and Red Bull: “The last few years have been tough since we lost the title in 2021,” Norbert Haug continued. “That was truly a stolen title, there’s no other way to put it, due to the wrong Safety Car decision at that moment, and after that, there was a collapse. The cars and the team suffered many setbacks, including last year. The victories that did come were only in certain conditions, mainly in low temperatures.”
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