Editor's Desk: Hamilton at Ferrari

It is a new era in Formula 1 racing as the curtain fell on the Mercedes/Hamilton one that has lasted ever since the seven-time champion joined the sport in 2007 with McLaren.

The 2025 F1 season will be the first time Hamilton is propelled by an engine that is not Mercedes, who powered him to all of his seven titles: his maiden title with McLaren in 2008 and the remaining six with Mercedes' F1 works team (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020).

But what can we expect from the newly born Hamilton/Ferrari relationship?

A look back into recent history tells us that Hamilton will start his stint at Maranello with the "Honeymoon Phase". The team and all its members are all excited about welcoming the F1 legend, a multiple champion who on his end, will be in awe having joined the most successful F1 team of all time.

That has been the case when Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel joined Ferrari in 2010 and 2015, respectively. Both relationships started off in a decent fashion.

Alonso fought for the championship in his first season in Red, only to be beaten by none other than Vettel at Red Bull then, due to a Ferrari strategy blunder in the final race in Abu Dhabi in 2010.

Vettel won a race in his second outing as a Ferrari driver, the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix.

Alonso went on to fight for another championship in 2012 but was also beaten by Vettel, who in turn launched two title campaigns with Ferrari in 2017 and 2018 against the mighty Hamilton/Mercedes package but failed in both due to errors from the team as well as himself.

In the end, Alonso's relationship with Ferrari turned toxic before he left them in 2015 for McLaren, while Vettel departed to Aston Martin in 2020 a broken man, especially after Charles Leclerc, the Ferrari chosen one was put alongside him in 2019.

There are many similarities. He, like Alonso and Vettel, joins Ferrari as an F1 legend, but he is coming in at a later stage of his career. He turns 40 tomorrow, January 7.

And while Alonso and Vettel enjoyed obedient #2 drivers in the form of Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen, respectively, Hamilton will have to compete against Ferrari's chosen prince, Leclerc.

There is also the new management at Ferrari, a French one with Fred Vasseur in the hot seat while Alonso and Vettel operated under pure Italian management.

Vasseur has done some decent work stabilizing the team since he joined. They are better on strategy and race execution but not consistent enough yet. They still need to deliver a fast car out of the box.

As for Hamilton, he should win races in 2025, but the focus for him and Ferrari will be 2026, hoping the new Red single-seater under the regulations' overhaul is a good one.

But Hamilton will have to deal with a different team dynamic with Leclerc being his Ferrari teammate. Who will prevail in this showdown?

But can Hamilton win that elusive eighth title with Ferrari? History shows he won't. Even logic and time are playing against him...

We can only wish Lewis the best of luck at Ferrari, and it will be interesting to witness this collaboration between F1's most successful driver and its most successful team.