Ferrari make first F1 car change to suit Lewis Hamilton needs

Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Ferrari make first car change to suit Hamilton needs

Lewis Hamilton is officially a Ferrari driver

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 4 January 2025 20:00

Ferrari have begun to make changes to their 2025 car in order to suit new driver Lewis Hamilton, according to Italian reports.

The Brit's team switch has been hotly anticipated since it was announced in the run-up to the 2024 season, leaving Mercedes scrambling to replace their 12-year veteran.

READ MORE: Hamilton set to ditch key partner

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The move has now officially happened, with Ferrari welcoming the seven-time champion to the team via social media, and Hamilton releasing his first official statement as a Ferrari driver on his LinkedIn page.

Hamilton has left behind the Mercedes team with whom he claimed six drivers' championship titles and 84 grands prix victories.

Lewis Hamilton is now officially a Ferrari driver

Lewis Hamilton and Fred Vasseur previously worked together in GP2

When will Hamilton make his Ferrari debut?

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur recently suggested Hamilton may be able to make use of the Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme to make his debut on the private Fiorano track some time in January.

The official F1 pre-season test takes place in Bahrain in February, and Hamilton is also expected to be present for that.

Now, it appears that he will be driving a car supposedly more fit to his needs, following some public complaints during his last seasons with Mercedes.

Hamilton bemoaned his seat position at times in 2023 and 2024, claiming that he was sat too far forward in his cockpit. Hoping to ensure that this isn't a problem for the seven-time champion in 2025, Ferrari have reportedly acted.

Motorsport Italy have suggested that Ferrari's 2025 challenger, so far codenamed project 677, will have the passenger compartment moved further back with a shorter gearbox which will hopefully make Hamilton feel more comfortable in the car.

The above publication also reported that the car passed its first crash test, with Vasseur already confirming that radical changes have been made to the 2025 car compared to the 2024 challenger.

Ferrari Mercedes Hamilton Australian Grand Prix