Source: REUTERS/LISA LEUTNER
[Saba Sports News] Although Lewis Hamilton is currently still a Mercedes driver in name, his heart has long flown to Ferrari. According to reports from British motorsport media, Hamilton recently made a secret visit to the Ferrari factory. Hamilton initially hoped to participate in the 2024 season’s post-season testing for Ferrari to familiarize himself with their car as soon as possible, but was refused by the Mercedes team. After attending several official farewell events for the Mercedes team, Hamilton, who is about to turn 40, plans to take a short break and officially start his work at Ferrari at the end of January next year. Last week, Ferrari officially announced that the car for the 2025 season will be unveiled on February 19, the day after the official launch event in London. According to a report from Italian magazine “Racecar,” Hamilton is expected to test Ferrari’s car for the first time on January 21, but it has not yet been determined whether the seven-time F1 world champion will be driving the Ferrari car from the 2022 or 2023 season. The reason for this is that according to F1 regulations, only cars older than two years can be used for private testing. The magazine also revealed some design details of Ferrari’s new car, indicating that the team will adopt a pull-rod front suspension layout favored by teams like Red Bull and McLaren. It is reported that the primary reason Ferrari is adopting this design is to accommodate Hamilton’s driving style.