With F1’s current regulations now in their fourth year, the performance gaps that gave front-runners comfortable advantages are shrinking fast. Teams that were once struggling to keep pace have had enough time with these cars to catch up on the learning curve. (See: Ferrari and McLaren’s surge last year .)

Lewis Hamilton has provided details about his “incredibly crucial” preparations for his debut F1 season with Ferrari. The seven-time world champion has been spending recent weeks adapting to his new team, a period in which he has embedded himself at Maranello and driven Ferrari’s 2023 and 2024 cars.

Lewis Hamilton says he is “exactly where I’m supposed to be” after an emotional first day on track in Ferrari’s new car.