Lewis Hamilton is poised to make an immediate impact against reigning world champion Max Verstappen in his highly anticipated Ferrari debut at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix.
After a glittering 12-year stint with Mercedes, Hamilton, 40, aims to secure an unprecedented eighth world title, his first since 2020, following a dominant period by Verstappen and his Red Bull team.
The Briton’s move to Ferrari, a bombshell after years of dominance with Mercedes, has injected new life into his career.
Hamilton is eager to apply the lessons learned during 162 laps of Bahrain testing to race conditions.
"I'm excited to get to Melbourne and race with Ferrari," Hamilton said. "The passion here is unlike anything you've ever seen. They have all the ingredients needed to win a world championship; it’s just about putting it all together."
Hamilton, who has claimed victory twice at the Australian Grand Prix in 2008 and 2015 with McLaren and Mercedes, is determined to end Ferrari’s drought at Albert Park.
The Scuderia has triumphed in four of the last six Australian races, including 2024, when Carlos Sainz – whom Hamilton replaced – secured the win ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc.
Max Verstappen, who was forced to retire last year with a brake fire while leading, is focused on maintaining his championship dominance.
The Dutchman, a four-time world champion, is eyeing a fifth consecutive title, a feat only Michael Schumacher has achieved.
However, Verstappen has tempered expectations, acknowledging McLaren’s strong performance in Bahrain testing. "We may not be ready to fight for the win in Melbourne," he said. "McLaren looks the favorite, but we have ideas to improve."
In a major shake-up at Red Bull, Verstappen’s new teammate is Liam Lawson, who replaces the struggling Sergio Perez. Lawson is one of six drivers making their full-season debut in Australia.
Fans will also be keeping a close eye on Jack Doohan, the son of five-time MotoGP champion Mick, who makes his debut with Alpine.
Other rookies include Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli (who takes Hamilton’s seat at Mercedes), Briton Oliver Bearman (Haas), Brazil’s Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber), and Frenchman Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls).
McLaren’s Lando Norris, who led the team to its first title in 26 years last season, is eager to carry that momentum into 2025. "This circuit has been good to us, and I hope we can build on our 2024 momentum," he said. "We had a productive test, but we won’t know where we stand until qualifying on Saturday."
Norris warned that this season could see tighter competition across the board. "There will be a lot of close racing and strong competition from teams outside of McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes."
The Australian Grand Prix returns to its traditional spot as the season opener for the first time in five years, with over 450,000 fans expected at Albert Park.
After the race’s shift to Bahrain due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Melbourne is eager to reclaim its place at the start of the F1 calendar.
