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The 'Lewis Hamilton mania' is going to engulf the entire Ferrari family as soon as the 7x time world champion joins the team for his first season. There aren't many signings that are possibly bigger than this because on one side we have the most iconic team in the sport, and on the other, you have the most successful driver in F1 history.
When the most successful driver in F1 history and arguably the most recognizable face of the sport joins a team like Ferrari, it's going to be matched with a certain level of fanfare. This is exactly what we're seeing right now as Lewis Hamilton is set to make his very first visit to Maranello.
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Being a part of the squad led by Fred Vasseur and sharing a team with a talent like Charles Leclerc is a fresh start for Lewis Hamilton. For his boss at Ferrari, however, there is an elephant in the room that he should be worried about as he prepares for a potential title challenge.
That elephant could become an uncomfortable headache that worsens as the season begins. Let's take a look.
Lewis Hamilton's disastrous final season at Mercedes
Lest we forget, while there is talk about a fresh start at Ferrari for Lewis, one shouldn't forget where he's coming from. His last season at Mercedes wasn't anything less than a disaster. The driver announced in January that he was leaving the German team.
What followed as the season began was a period where the driver just struggled to adapt to a car that he'd spearheaded in terms of feedback. There were peaks when he started the season on a positive note, but more often than not, the struggle was around how much George Russell was able to get out of the package compared to his illustrious teammate.
While many have tried to put this down to the driver not being interested and lacking motivation in the last season, there have been others that have hinted at Mercedes being biased towards Russell.
The answer is arguably none of them, as Hamilton probably struggled to adapt to a car he wasn't willing to put hard yards in.
In essence, he's going to Ferrari after a horrible season, and there are certainly doubts over what he can deliver in the car.
What if Lewis Hamilton is unable to keep up with Charles Leclerc?
A question that could have crossed Vasseur's mind in the last 5 or 6 months and certainly during the winter break is whether Lewis Hamilton can get over whatever was limiting him at Mercedes and bounce back at Ferrari. The gap between the Brit and his young teammate on the German team was significant throughout the season, and it became clear that the adaptability element hurt the driver.
He's coming to Ferrari in 2025, an alien team with a culture that's nothing like what he's experienced in his entire career. To add to it, you have a car built primarily with Charles Leclerc's input and should suit the Monegasque in general. It's an understatement to claim that Lewis Hamilton would have to adapt to everything at Maranello.
What if he's unable to do that? What if, as the season progresses, Hamilton continues to fall behind his teammate, who is potentially contending for the title?
How to deal with the pushback?
It's probably been stated far too many times already in the past but Lewis Hamilton's move is as lucrative as it gets in F1 history. The details of the Brit's contract are yet to be disclosed, but it's expected to be levels above what he had at Mercedes.
When you're paying someone that kind of money, you want them to be your leading light. Ferrari, especially John Elkann, is not paying Hamilton the absurd amount of money to be second best to his teammate. They expect him to do well, and if he is unable to, questions will come.
As we saw last season with Toto Wolff, the team principal ended up doing overtime when it came to trying to explain why Hamilton was not as fast as Russell. For Vasseur, if he has one driver in Leclerc who is potentially fighting for the title and the other driver in Hamilton unable to keep up, questions would be asked by the media as well.
If Lewis Hamilton starts his 2025 season firing on all cylinders, then Ferrari has hit the jackpot. But what if that doesn't happen? What if you get a Hamilton who asks his race engineer to retire the car, just like he did in Qatar last season? For Vasseur, this may be a question he could be worried about as the partnership begins.
Will Lewis Hamilton play the team game?
Arguably the biggest litmus test of Ferrari's decision to pursue Lewis Hamilton is going to come this season if there's a scenario where Charles Leclerc is in the title battle and he needs support from his teammate. At that moment, would Hamilton, a driver who has been an Alpha ever since he made his debut as a teammate to Fernando Alonso, be willing to be the supporting act?
Will Hamilton be willing to play the role of the number 2 driver at Ferrari? Could Vasseur make him play that role? What if Lewis is unwilling to be something he hasn't been throughout a career spanning two decades?
If everything goes well, Ferrari could have a Lewis Hamilton who is refreshed, motivated, and fighting for the title this season. On the other hand, the serious doubts around the driver mean that there is a possibility that having the biggest star in F1 comes with its flaws, and those flaws could hurt the team as the season progresses.
While Ferrari welcomes Lewis Hamilton with all the glitz and glamour he deserves, there's going to be a part of Fred Vasseur who could be worried about what could potentially be in front of him if things don't work out.
