The Year of the 8th World Title for Hamilton…

By Joe Murphy

Could this year be the year? Lewis Hamilton came agonisingly close to a record setting eighth Driver’s World Championship in 2021. Since, he has only managed two victories, at Silverstone and Belgium last season. In truth, he has been way off it

However, fresh off competing his dream move to Ferrari, questions can now start to arise about whether his title chances are as high as they’ve been for nearly half a decade.

Only McLaren beat Ferrari in the constructor standings last season. With only Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc in faster or equal cars on paper, it would be foolish to discount Lewis Hamilton from ending the 17 year Ferrari driver curse. He has more champiosnhip pedigree than the other three combined.

If Mercedes and Red Bull aren’t able to compete, then surely Lewis’ chances are much improved from last season where it looked like, at times, he was done with the sport.

In 2026, the new regulations come in and there is still so much unknown about how this will affect the sport and each team independently. Therefore, it’s highly conceivable that this is the best chance, perhaps only chance, that the British driver will have to complete the jigsaw with the last missing piece and set the only bit of history he has left to set.

To do it in a Ferrari too. That would truly but the cherry on an already amazing career cake.

He isn’t the favourite. Lando in particular has shown he had what it takes to win multiple races. McLaren has the fastest car so Oscar Piastri will be no slouch either. Then there Charles, who will be desperate to be the man that brings true glory bad to the Tiffosi. He is well used to Ferrari by this point so despite his youth, he’s about as experienced a teammate as Lewis could wish to hope for. By proxy, it means that Charles will at least give Lewis a run for his money if not go one further. It may just be that extra experience under pressure and in a title race that gives the man from Stevenage the edge this year.