Breaking news:Ferrari address Lewis Hamilton complaint with key change for F1 2025 – report……readmore
Breaking news:Ferrari address Lewis Hamilton complaint with key change for F1 2025 – report……readmore
Ferrari has reportedly made a significant modification to their car’s cockpit position for the F1 2025 season, as the team prepares to welcome Lewis Hamilton, their high-profile signing from Mercedes. This change follows Hamilton’s complaint about the cockpit design of his Mercedes in 2023, where he felt it was positioned too close to the front wheels, which affected his performance and comfort.
The seven-time World Champion, who turns 40 next week, officially joined Ferrari after his Mercedes contract ended on December 31, 2024. Hamilton, who announced his multi-year move to Ferrari back in February 2024, leaves behind one of the most successful driver-team partnerships in Formula 1 history, having claimed six of his seven World Championships with Mercedes. He also became the first driver in F1 history to exceed 100 race wins and pole positions after joining the Silver Arrows from McLaren in 2013.
Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes was somewhat surprising, coming less than six months after signing a two-year contract extension with the team. However, he exercised a break clause in that contract, facilitating his switch to Ferrari for the 2025 season. His decision followed two winless years in 2022 and 2023, as Mercedes struggled to adapt to the new ground-effect regulations.
While Hamilton returned to the top step of the podium in 2024, with wins at the British and Belgian Grands Prix, it was still a challenging season for him. He found it difficult to match his teammate George Russell in qualifying, being outqualified by him in 19 of the 24 races. In the final weeks of the season, Hamilton even admitted, “I’m not fast anymore,” as he reflected on his struggles
Despite these challenges, many believe that Hamilton’s move to Ferrari could rejuvenate his career. Ferrari’s F1 2025 car, codenamed Project 677, is generating high expectations. The team narrowly missed out on the Constructors’ Championship in 2024, and Fred Vasseur, Ferrari’s team principal, is optimistic that the new car will be a “completely new” model designed to push for a title – their first since 2008.
Project 677 has already passed the FIA’s mandatory crash tests for the 2025 season, a crucial step ahead of its official unveiling on February 19. One of the key modifications reportedly made to the car is the adjustment of the cockpit position, a move that is expected to benefit Hamilton. According to the Italian edition of Motorsport.com, unconfirmed reports suggest that the cockpit has been moved further back compared to last year’s SF-24 model. This adjustment is said to improve weight distribution and aid in tire management, two crucial factors in race performance.
year’s Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton voiced his discomfort, explaining that sitting too close to the front wheels made it harder to predict the car’s movements. “We sit closer to the front wheels than all the other drivers. Our cockpit is too close to the front,” he said. He likened the feeling to driving a road car with the wheels directly under his legs, calling it “one of the worst feelings” and expressing regret that he had not intervened earlier to change the design.
The cockpit adjustment isn’t the only significant change for Ferrari’s 2025 car. Project 677 will also feature a return to pullrod front suspension, a design last used by Ferrari in 2015. This system, favored by teams like McLaren and Red Bull, is believed to improve airflow to the car’s underbody, an essential area for generating downforce under current regulations. This change is also said to align with Hamilton’s driving style, which is more similar to his new teammate Charles Leclerc than to the outgoing Carlos Sainz, who has moved to Williams.
Ferrari is also set to keep their divisive pullrod rear suspension, which, despite being less common, has been credited with improving tire management in 2024. Although some teams prefer the pushrod system, Ferrari and their customer team Haas remain committed to the pullrod layout.
Further changes to Project 677 include a revised wheelbase and modifications to the gearbox. The development of the car has been overseen by Loic Serra, a former Mercedes engineer who joined Ferrari as chassis technical director in October. Serra is reportedly close to Hamilton and was known to share the driver’s concerns about the zero-pod design concept that Mercedes pursued during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
As Ferrari prepares to launch their 2025 challenger, the team is pulling out all the stops to ensure that both Hamilton and Leclerc have a car capable of delivering a World Championship. Hamilton’s presence has already sparked optimism, and with these reported changes, Ferrari aims to give him the tools to succeed in his new chapter.
Stay tuned for more updates,……..