by Zaina Mirza

All eyes are on Lewis Hamilton in the cockpit of his red Ferrari as the world of motorsport waits with bated breath for the F1 2025 season to take off this March at Melbourne, Australia. 

Perhaps the most anticipated Formula 1 season in over three decades, F1 2025 stands to be the closest season in series history. As rivalries heat up with the end of pre-season testing, history is looking to be made at Scuderia Ferrari by none other than the most accomplished driver in F1 history, Sir Lewis Hamilton.

Last February, the seven-time World Champion turned the world of motorsport on its side when media officials confirmed that Hamilton was leaving Mercedes AMG Petronas to join Scuderia Ferrari. No fan, commentator or pundit could have ever predicted that Lewis Hamilton would leave Mercedes, let alone join their long attested rivals, Ferrari. The mere notion that Hamilton would not be retiring at Mercedes was preposterous, as Hamilton and Mercedes had what was widely considered the most successful team-driver partnership in sports history. 

In the 12 years that Hamilton drove for Mercedes, he competed in 246 races and secured 84 race wins, 8 Constructors’ Championships, and 6 Drivers’ Championships. Mercedes and Hamilton dominated a whole decade of racing together, a feat that may never be repeated. Not to mention, Hamilton’s personal history with Mercedes extends beyond their accomplishments in F1. Hamilton joined Mercedes at a time when the team was struggling. He faced heavy criticism for doing so, as he was ending his 15-year-long association with Mclaren, with whom he’d won his first World Title. However, his instincts and trust in the Mercedes team pulled through, and the two went on to become synonymous with each other in motorsport, unlike any driver and team before them. 

So when news broke out that Lewis Hamilton, the face of Mercedes, would be leaving his forever-team to try his mettle in Rosso Scuderia, Formula 1 was shaken. Hamilton had spent some of the most memorable moments of his career in direct competition with Ferrari and the sudden change had caused some early dissent among fans but the move to Marenello was bigger than just calculated careerism. Every kid who has ever dreamed of racing has dreamed of racing in Ferrari. Hamilton is no different. 

Even when the team struggles, when the championships go the other way, when the failures start to outweigh the successes, it is nothing less than an honor to drive for Scuderia Ferrari. It is the closest thing to religion this sport knows. Ferrari has secured its place not just in history, but in the very blood of this sport, elevating its status in Italy close to that of the Catholic Church. 

That being said, Ferrari hasn’t won a single championship since 2007. The same championship that they would’ve lost to a rookie Lewis Hamilton had it not been for one singular point. For all the reasons that Lewis had for leaving Mercedes, Ferrari had more to acquire him as their driver. In Hamilton, Ferrari saw a return to their once-untouchable days of glory; in Ferrari, Hamilton saw not just his boyhood dream, but that priceless chance to reclaim his eight-championship title that he lost in 2021. With a fire that burns a red brighter than that of his car, Lewis Hamilton has never been more determined to set himself apart — and neither has Ferrari. 

In the aftermath of the shock of February 1st, 2024, the knowledge that two of the greatest rivals in Formula 1 would soon work as one body has lingered in everybody’s mind. And as lights out in Melbourne draws ever closer, the seat of Formula 1 itself readies for what is undoubtedly its most remarkable season yet.