MELBOURNE:
Lewis Hamilton will look to put down a direct marker in opposition to world champion Max Verstappen when the Briton makes his extremely anticipated Ferrari debut on the season-opening Australian Grand Prix this week. The previous Mercedes ace Hamilton is bidding for a file eighth world title and his first since 2020 after being outshone by the Dutchman and his imperious Crimson Bull group over the intervening years.
A bombshell transfer to Ferrari after a wonderful 12-year spell at Mercedes has rejuvenated the 40-year-old, who is raring to use the teachings discovered from 162 laps of testing at Bahrain final month to race situations.
“I am so excited to get to the primary race in Melbourne. I am unable to wait to go racing with them,” Hamilton stated of Ferrari.
“The fervour right here is like nothing you have ever seen.
“They have completely each ingredient they should win a world championship and it is nearly placing all of the items collectively.”
Hamilton has tasted victory twice earlier than on the quick and bumpy Albert Park circuit with McLaren and Mercedes, however not since 2015.
Ferrari have fared higher, profitable 4 of the final six Australian races together with in 2024 when Carlos Sainz, the person Hamilton changed, took the chequered flag forward of teammate Charles Leclerc. Verstappen began from pole however failed to complete in Melbourne final yr, limping out with smoke billowing from a brake hearth.
It was a minor aberration for the Dutchman, who went on to clinch a fourth world title with two races to spare forward of McLaren’s Lando Norris.
The 27-year-old Verstappen is now bidding to turn into solely the second driver behind Michael Schumacher to win 5 championships in a row.
Verstappen has been eager to minimize expectations, telling Dutch media: “I do not suppose we will struggle for the win already in Melbourne.
“For those who have a look at the lap instances, then I believe McLaren is the favorite,” Verstappen added, referring to Bahrain testing. “On our aspect, not every part went fully easily, however however now we have some concepts on enhance.”
New faces
Australian eyes will probably be on Jack Doohan, the son of five-time MotoGP world champion Mick, who makes his residence bow with Alpine.
The opposite 4 are Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who took Hamilton’s Mercedes seat, Briton Oliver Bearman (Haas), Brazil’s Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) and France’s Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls). Verstappen’s warning follows Norris throwing down the gauntlet final yr when he led McLaren to their first group title since 1998.
As anticipated, McLaren had been fast in Bahrain with Norris and Australian teammate Oscar Piastri eager for assertion drives this week.
“This circuit has been good to us previously and hopefully we have carried our momentum from 2024 into this yr,” stated Britain’s Norris.
“We had a productive check however we can’t know the place we stand till qualifying on Saturday.”
Norris cautioned that he expects groups aside from McLaren, Crimson Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes to be extra aggressive this season.
“I believe this must be a really thrilling season with loads of shut racing. There’s going to be loads of competitors.” Melbourne is again in its conventional place because the opening race of the season for the primary time in 5 years, with organisers anticipating greater than 450,000 followers via the Albert Park turnstiles.
The town had held the primary grand prix virtually yearly because the Australian race moved from Adelaide in 1996, however has not executed so since 2019 after the Covid pandemic led to Bahrain taking up. He’s now partnered at Crimson Bull by Liam Lawson after the under-performing Sergio Perez was axed, with the New Zealander one among six drivers making their full season debut in Australia.