It’s a query that has accompanied us all through 2024 and can proceed no less than till March: was Lewis Hamilton a technical asset for Ferrari, or was his signing pushed solely by industrial causes, because the fiercest critics declare?
The 2024 Method 1 championship, which concluded on December 8 with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, was not among the finest for the seven-time F1 world champion, this can be a well-established reality. The constructive facet was his return to victory: he gained 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 case mirrored on the standings, with George Russell as soon as once more forward of his fellow countryman.
These information led some to consider that the British driver was on the decline. Clearly, we’re speaking a few driver who will flip 40 in a number of days, so it’s pure to not anticipate his profession to nonetheless be growing towards its peak. Nonetheless, one have to be cautious with harsh judgments, avoiding drawing maybe hasty conclusions.
Lewis Hamilton didn’t have a blended season on account of a scarcity of motivation or due to an inside battle inside Mercedes after his change to Ferrari was introduced on February 1. No, the British driver paid the worth as a result of W15, a automobile he by no means actually linked with, particularly by way of attaining quick lap occasions, the place the sensation and symbiosis with the automobile must be whole.
Initially, it needs to be emphasised that the common hole Lewis Hamilton needed to George Russell in qualifying was amplified by way of grid positions. With a really intently matched efficiency package deal, even shedding a number of tenths may value a number of positions. This dynamic magnified the distinction between the 2 Mercedes drivers.
The pinnacle of monitor engineering, Andrew Shovlin, defined that Hamilton’s difficulties have been primarily on account of a automobile that wasn’t very quick and had a setup window that was too slim. 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 swimsuit Hamilton’s driving fashion, particularly because the former McLaren driver prefers {smooth} braking. Moreover, the automobile tended to take not-so-smooth racing strains exiting corners, behaving virtually “in jerks,” one other issue not in step with Hamilton’s driving fashion. In races the place these points have been overcome, like Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps, and even Las Vegas, Lewis managed to carry his personal and ship robust performances. Nonetheless, the issue was that the automobile couldn’t carry out like this constantly over the course of the 24 races.
Many drivers who are likely to excel at braking have confronted difficulties with the new-generation vehicles. Hamilton’s points have been evident in all three years of these kind of vehicles. So, are the traits of ground-effect vehicles one thing the British champion has by no means absolutely tailored to? In line with Shovlin, that’s not 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 automobile 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 automobile’s design philosophy. These considerations grew so massive and convincing that the creator of that automobile, Mike Elliott, was successfully sidelined from the crew till his contract was terminated.
Lewis Hamilton’s driving fashion exacerbated the issues on a single lap. The issue in preserving the rear tires inside the excellent operational window was felt considerably this season, resulting in a transparent inside 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 have been virtually 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 automobile tended to snap into oversteer, forcing Lewis to “combat” from the middle of the nook to the exit, which precipitated 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 accordance with Shovlin himself, didn’t constantly present a automobile that allowed Lewis to achieve the restrict based mostly on his driving fashion. It wasn’t straightforward to enter a very good steadiness window and, particularly for Lewis, as soon as that window was reached, it wasn’t straightforward to keep up it. This explains weekends that began nicely by way of setup however ended poorly with an incapability 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 get well many positions, provided that he didn’t at all times 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 automobile – at present referred to as Challenge 677 – that’s extra simple 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 only lap, the British driver will possible face one of the best qualifier on the grid, that means the interior battle may flip right into a kind of nightmare for the seven-time world champion. In 2024, Charles Leclerc, whereas beating Carlos Sainz, often confirmed some issue in getting the Pirelli tires into the fitting window.
Lots of work was performed with Callum Frith, Ferrari’s tire chief, however not all difficulties have been overcome. The Ferrari SF-24, at one level, took a improvement path that wasn’t fully suited to the Monegasque driver’s fashion, which considerably resembles Hamilton’s. Like Lewis, Charles prefers a extra stable entrance finish with a rear finish that’s simpler to manage.
The rear axle must be guided with out exhibiting the jerky actions Shovlin talked about. With the updates launched through the summer time, Ferrari turned a automobile that was much less susceptible to understeer and simpler to drive with a rear finish beneath management; this helped Charles, who within the second half of 2024 was the driving force who collected probably the most factors of all the opposite contenders.
Subsequent 12 months, Ferrari can have two drivers who, usually, choose a automobile 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 types has additionally mirrored within the improvement path taken by the Maranello engineers and technicians. Subsequent 12 months, nevertheless, the trail to comply with can be a single one: each drivers may gain advantage from this technical situation.
Clearly, we should not have a crystal ball, nor can we intend to make predictions about what the interior battle at Ferrari will yield, nevertheless it’s attainable to think about that the 2025 automobile, if it follows the developments 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 crew principal Frederic Vasseur mentioned through the end-of-year press convention. Resolving the thermal administration points with the tires which have often 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, they usually intend to arrange a quick automobile proper from the beginning, one that may develop regardless that beginning January 1, it will likely be attainable to work on the brand new technology vehicles that can characterize the 2026 championship.
Lewis Hamilton hopes to discover a automobile that isn’t as temperamental because the final three he needed to drive beneath 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 have been actually technical and never, as critics declare, on account of a driver on the decline.
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