F1 2024

[DC.]

What if this years Mercedes is much, much better than the Ferrari

If Hamilton can drag Ferrari to their first title since Kimi in ‘07, he’ll instantly become a Ferrari great.

Forza Ferrari x Forty Four

 

[svensktoppen]

What if this years Mercedes is much, much better than the Ferrari

It's not inconceivable. There was a lot of progress even with the dog of a car last year.

Then again, Lewis will already have a pretty good idea of next year's car from the simulators.

He might also know something about changes at Ferrari too. By all accounts, the move was triggered from the Ferrari boss, not just the team leadership.

And he will likely bring people with him.

But who knows

The whole thing does seem a bit "spur of the moment". I kind if get it as a way of giving himself a good kick up the back, fresh motivation, fresh challenge, new environment. The future will tell.

 

[DC.]

He hasn’t won a race in 2 seasons now & maybe he feels he’s got nothing to lose at Ferrari.

 

[KevM]

What if Russell was the true measure of how big a dog last years Merc was & Lewis talent dragged it's sorry backside to 'best of the rest'?

It'll be interesting for sure

 

[carmad.]

 

[lackingBHP]

and ferrari fans genrally hate lh

Not just Ferrari fans

 

[carmad.]

Guenther was some craic he was epic in drive to survive

when’s the new drive to survive start ?

 

[Jbridges522]

 

[gpaevo]

when’s the new drive to survive start ?

End of this month I think

 

[svensktoppen]

They are probably busy doing some serious editing right now

 

[six_impressive_hours]

Apparently Lewis wanted a three year contract and an ambassador role until 2035, Mercedes were only willing to give him a 2 year contract either party could exit after one year.

Sounds like Ferrari gave him what he wanted, a three year deal and ambassador role to continue his equality initiatives. Presumably they'll have told him the 26 Ferrari will be spicy when the new regulations arrive too.

 

[Wild Thing]

Is it not the usualy trend for ex champions to finish of their career languishing at Ferrari doing absolutely nothing impressive.

 

[cauld1]

No.

Most recent Ferrari drivers who were WDC and were at Ferrari:

• Vettel - finished his career in Aston. 6 years in Ferrari, 2 2nds and 1 3rd in the WDC.
• Alonso - went to McLaren after Ferrari, then retired then came back to Alpine, now in Aston. Finished second in the WDC 3 times in his 5 years at Ferrari.
• Kimi - won a WDC with Ferrari, went rallying for a bit came back to F1 ended up in Ferrari again after nearly bankrupting Lotus then ended his career in Alfa Romeo Sauber.

None of that really looks like languishing doing nothing impressive tbh.

 

[Wild Thing]

Well yes, Ferrari never delivered and they moved on again to mediocre teams. Lewis will be exactly the same

 

[cauld1]

Well, no. None of them finished their career in Ferrari.

Ferrari with a French man in charge tend to get their act together eventually and do well. Todt left in 2008 when they won the constructors and drivers championship went down the the wire. Fred has only been principal since last year.

I'm hoping they have something in the works for the new regs in 2026 that will work.

Just have no idea where the need to be utterly dismissive of the move at this point tbh. I don't see how any of the history of the team can just be dismissed because the recent results haven't been great despite quite a number of 2nd positions in the WDC. I'm not sure about Vettel but Alonso absolutely did not work to build and encourage the team around him, and Kimi was Kimi. Hamilton is a very different team player in terms of putting work in and getting people on side.

Not sure mediocre is entirely fair for Lotus when Kimi was there or Aston for a good chunk last year tbh, at least with Alonso driving.

If it was any other driver but Hamilton, a lot of the negativity would be toned down/nonexistent I think.

 

[svensktoppen]

It's not just "recent" years though. Been a very long time since they were a winning team. Being "nearly best of the rest" doesn't really cut it though. And that's why all those drivers you mentioned didn't actually finish with Ferrari. You just made a long list of championships they threw away for no reason other than messing it up themselves.

But you are right they have still been up there. Lewis says he wants a change and a new challenge to keep him motivated, and that's fair enough. And he brings more than just driving talent. He knows how to build teams and win championships, not just races. Plus serious sponsorship. So with him and the new team leader, who knows.

It's a gamble, in the interviews I've seen Lewis is making that clear. But that's why he's done it.

At least it will keep is watching, lol

 

[gpaevo]

When Schumacher went to Ferrari, they had been struggling for years with poor results an countless reliability issues. Took him a season or so to get them sorted, then they rewrote the history books.

LH could very well do the same from 2026 onwards.

(Ideal world, Ferrari will come good again and LH team mate will whip him every race )

 

[cauld1]

(Ideal world, Ferrari will come good again and LH team mate will whip him every race )

Said team mate might provided he doesn't do his usual and stack it into the scenery when under slight pressure

It's not just "recent" years though. Been a very long time since they were a winning team. Being "nearly best of the rest" doesn't really cut it though. And that's why all those drivers you mentioned didn't actually finish with Ferrari. You just made a long list of championships they threw away for no reason other than messing it up themselves.

But you are right they have still been up there. Lewis says he wants a change and a new challenge to keep him motivated, and that's fair enough. And he brings more than just driving talent. He knows how to build teams and win championships, not just races. Plus serious sponsorship. So with him and the new team leader, who knows.

It's a gamble, in the interviews I've seen Lewis is making that clear. But that's why he's done it.

At least it will keep is watching, lol

Lol, yes, best of the rest doesn't cut it so all the drivers I mentioned went to way inferior teams. Jesus wept, sound logic there. There were also up against a dominant RB and then a dominant Mercedes in those years. 2026 regs open things up again, and if they can nail those, there is no reason to not be on top. They arguably didn't do a bad job of the 2022 regs out the gate.

It's a gamble same as when he went to Mercedes tbh, which he has certainly alluded to.

I just don't see the point in dismissing it as if nothing decent will come from it before the move has happened. The last time Ferrari brought in a non Italian as team principal and a world champion driver who actually went and put a hell of a lot of work in and effort to bring the team on side it kinda worked pretty well. I'm being very optimistic, but I don't see why not.

 

[Jbridges522]

@Wild Thing is right though that ferrari over the last long while has generally been a place for experienced top drivers that have arrived as the man to change their fortunes, similar to what people are saying about lh.

Alonso, Vettle, kimi, doesn’t seem many suppse but thats surely, 15 years or so of it will be next year.

Doesn’t mean i don’t hope for a win this year lol

 

[DC.]

Vettel was right when he said: ‘Everyone is a Ferrari fan, even if they aren’t, they’re Ferrari fans.’

Every driver on the grid would love to drive for Ferrari during their career. They just have to choose the right time to join.

 

[cauld1]

@Wild Thing is right though that ferrari over the last long while has generally been a place for experienced top drivers that have arrived as the man to change their fortunes, similar to what people are saying about lh.

Alonso, Vettle, kimi, doesn’t seem many suppse but thats surely, 15 years or so of it will be next year.

Doesn’t mean i don’t hope for a win this year lol

It's an amazingly oversimplified look at it though.

Alonso and Vettel yea. I'm not sure Kimi was ever brought in to change their fortunes the second time round, given he won the championship in his first year with them.

It also overlooks that quite frankly, a lot of Vettels issues were self inflicted crashes as well as team and car issues.

 

[Dynam0humm]

Is it not the usualy trend for ex champions to finish of their career languishing at Ferrari doing absolutely nothing impressive.

Nigel Mansell might disagree...

 

[Wild Thing]

Nigel Mansell might disagree...

He was far from finished when he was at Ferrari. Still had indicar to win and finished his racing career in touring car iirc

 

[svensktoppen]

Yes, that's what Lewis is modelling his F1 career on - Nigel Mansel

 

[Wild Thing]

Yes, that's what Lewis is modelling his F1 career on - Nigel Mansel

Lewis could fair sport a big bushy moooooustache