MELBOURNE (AFP) – Lewis Hamilton will look to lay down an immediate marker against world champion Max Verstappen when the Briton makes his highly anticipated Ferrari debut at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix this week.
The former Mercedes ace Hamilton is bidding for a record eighth world title and his first since 2020 after being outshone by the Dutchman and his imperious Red Bull team over the intervening years.
A bombshell move to Ferrari after a glorious 12-year spell at Mercedes has rejuvenated the 40-year-old, who is eager to apply the lessons learned from 162 laps of testing at Bahrain last month to race conditions.
“I’m so excited to get to the first race in Melbourne. I can’t wait to go racing with them,” Hamilton said of Ferrari.
“The passion here is like nothing you’ve ever seen.
“They’ve got absolutely every ingredient they need to win a world championship and it’s just about putting all the pieces together.”
Hamilton has tasted victory twice before at the fast and bumpy Albert Park circuit with McLaren and Mercedes, but not since 2015.
Ferrari have fared better, winning four of the last six Australian races including in 2024 when Carlos Sainz, the man Hamilton replaced, took the chequered flag ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc.
Verstappen started from pole but failed to finish in Melbourne last year, limping out with smoke billowing from a brake fire.
It was a minor aberration for the Dutchman, who went on to clinch a fourth world title with two races to spare ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris.
The 27-year-old Verstappen is now bidding to become only the second driver behind Michael Schumacher to win five championships in a row.
Verstappen has been keen to play down expectations, telling Dutch media: “I don’t think we can fight for the win already in Melbourne.
“If you look at the lap times, then I think McLaren is the favourite,” Verstappen added, referring to Bahrain testing.
