Hamilton Gears Up for Ferrari Debut, Piastri Chases First Home Win at Aussie GP
Lewis Hamilton is about to kick off a brand-new chapter in his legendary Formula One career, making his highly anticipated Ferrari debut at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix this Sunday. If he pulls off a championship win with the Italian team, he’ll become the first driver to win titles with three different teams—and snag a record-breaking eighth title in the process.
Ferrari fans are already going crazy over Hamilton’s arrival, especially in Italy, but Melbourne’s big Italian community is expected to bring serious energy to Albert Park as the race returns as the season opener for the first time since 2019.
Ferrari finished second behind McLaren in last year’s constructors’ championship, and they dominated in Melbourne last season, with Carlos Sainz (now with Williams) leading a 1-2 finish ahead of Charles Leclerc.
But McLaren might just steal the show this time. Their winter testing numbers were super strong, with F1 data showing they were the fastest on low fuel in Bahrain and had better race pace than Ferrari. That’s big news for Aussie fans, who will be cheering for McLaren’s Oscar Piastri as he tries to become the first home driver to win the Australian GP since it joined the F1 calendar in 1985.
Also Read: Swiatek and Medvedev Cruise into Indian Wells Quarters
Piastri finished fourth in last year’s race, just behind his McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who’s actually the bookmakers’ pre-season favorite for the championship. If Piastri wants to make history, he might have to get past Norris first.
Meanwhile, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is also on a mission. He’s chasing his fifth straight drivers’ title, which would put him in the same league as Michael Schumacher. But after a shaky 2024 season where Red Bull finished third in the constructors’ standings and logged the fewest laps in winter testing, their true pace is still a mystery.
“We learnt a lot from testing but there is still a lot more work to be done,” Verstappen said in Red Bull’s race preview on Tuesday.
“We have ideas about what we can do and how we can take on what we learnt at testing, so we will see how we go when we start driving on the track.”
Red Bull also has a new teammate for Verstappen this year—New Zealander Liam Lawson, who’s replacing Sergio Perez. Red Bull is hoping Lawson will give Verstappen more support than Perez did last season.
This race is also a big deal for the rookies making their season-opener debuts. One of the biggest storylines is 18-year-old Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who’s stepping into Hamilton’s old Mercedes seat—talk about pressure.
Other fresh faces include British teen Oliver Bearman, who’s racing for Haas after being a reserve last year, and French driver Isack Hadjar, the F2 runner-up, making his debut with Racing Bulls. Brazilian F2 champ Gabriel Bortoleto will be driving for Sauber, while Aussie Jack Doohan will be looking to impress in front of his home crowd with Alpine. But there’s already speculation that his seat might not be safe, with Argentine reserve Franco Colapinto rumored to be next in line.
Albert Park always delivers some surprises, and with rain in the forecast for race day after a scorching hot qualifying session on Saturday, this year’s season opener could get wild real fast.
Also Read: Monahan Says Trump Helped Push PGA, LIV Talks Forward
For more Sports news Bookmark Us
