Lewis Hamilton has made the transfer to Ferrari forward of the 2025 System 1 season, however he wasn’t the one high-profile departure from Mercedes to affix the Maranello workforce as they enter the following chapter of their F1 journey.
At 40 years outdated, the British driver ended his lengthy and profitable run with Mercedes after going through two of his most tough seasons. For the primary time in his profession, the seven-time world champion did not win a Grand Prix in 2022 and 2023. His 2023 season ended along with his lowest ever factors end, in seventh place, a major downturn for a driver accustomed to being on the forefront of the championship struggle. By the point he signed with Ferrari in February 2024, Lewis Hamilton was coming off his worst-ever F1 season, cementing his resolution to go away Mercedes after years of dominance that noticed him seize six of his seven titles.
Along with Lewis Hamilton’s arrival, Ferrari additionally made a strategic transfer by bringing Loic Serra, a key technical determine from Mercedes, on board. Serra, who had initially agreed to affix Ferrari as head of chassis efficiency, was later promoted to chassis technical director following the departure of Enrico Cardile, who joined Aston Martin. Equally, Jerome d’Ambrosio, one other former Mercedes staffer, took on the position of deputy workforce principal at Ferrari below Fred Vasseur. Each Loic Serra and Jerome d’Ambrosio began their positions in October, signaling Ferrari’s intent to strengthen their technical workforce forward of the 2025 System 1 marketing campaign.
Serra wasted no time in making his impression, significantly on the SF-25, specializing in optimizing how Ferrari’s automobile interacts with the Pirelli tyres for the upcoming season. In his early observations, Serra shortly observed key variations between Mercedes and Ferrari, highlighting the “expertise and motivation” of Ferrari’s employees. He was struck by the fervour and drive inside the workforce and felt that Ferrari had the important components wanted to proceed evolving and enhancing. The French engineer expressed his pleasure about becoming a member of the Maranello workforce, stating that he felt lucky to be a part of Ferrari’s formidable System 1 venture.
Loic Serra defined that his position on the Italian facet is an evolution of the place he held at Mercedes, though it differs in sure points. He talked about feeling lucky to be surrounded by extremely gifted and skilled people throughout all areas of the workforce, noting that they supply him with important help. Reflecting on his preliminary months at Maranello, Serra noticed some variations, significantly now that he holds the place of technical director. He highlighted that what stands out at Ferrari is the expertise and motivation inside the workforce, which he believes are essential components for steady enchancment.
Lewis Hamilton will undoubtedly be inspired by Loic Serra’s optimistic impressions of Ferrari, particularly contemplating their profitable historical past collectively at Mercedes. Serra, who joined Mercedes in 2010, performed a vital position in supporting Hamilton’s achievements throughout their time collectively. As a French mechanical engineering graduate, Serra’s technical experience considerably contributed to Hamilton’s success, having been a key determine within the workforce’s engineering division.
Serra initially served as Mercedes’ chief automobile engineer from 2010 to 2013, later advancing to move of auto dynamics in 2013 and ultimately turning into efficiency director in 2018. His management and engineering abilities had been instrumental in Mercedes’ dominance in System 1 from 2014 to 2020, significantly after the introduction of the 1.6L V6 turbo-hybrid energy items. Beneath Serra’s steering, Hamilton secured six world titles, along with his solely challenges coming from teammate Nico Rosberg in 2016 and Max Verstappen from Crimson Bull in 2021.
Given his in depth expertise and the success he helped the British driver obtain at Mercedes, Loic Serra’s optimistic view of Ferrari’s potential will probably resonate with Hamilton. Having seen the Scuderia’s optimistic indicators early on in his tenure, Hamilton can be keen to assist Ferrari leverage its assets successfully, with hopes of continuous his legacy in a brand new atmosphere at Maranello.
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