Lewis Hamilton will make his debut with Scuderia Ferrari this F1 season after leaving Mercedes for the Italian workforce in one of the crucial sensational and surprising strikes within the sport’s historical past.
Each events have achieved nice success within the sport: on one aspect, probably the most iconic and profitable workforce within the practically 75-year historical past of the class; on the opposite, the 7-time world champion, the motive force with probably the most wins, podiums, pole positions, and factors within the competitors’s historical past.
Forward of the Briton’s debut, listed below are 5 strikes in Scuderia Ferrari’s historical past that justified the belief positioned in them and 5 that didn’t end up as anticipated.
The 5 Profitable Strikes by Ferrari
Schumacher and Raikkonen
The primary is, in fact, Michael Schumacher. Probably the most notable instance on the listing was Schumacher’s determination to hitch the Maranello workforce for the 1996 season.
On the time, it was seen as a daring selection, provided that the German had gained two consecutive titles (1994 and 1995) with Benetton, whereas Ferrari struggled to maintain up.
Their early seasons collectively had been difficult, together with Michael Schumacher’s disqualification from the 1997 championship and a leg damage that took him out of the title combat in 1999. But it surely all got here collectively in 2000 when Schumacher delivered the workforce’s first drivers’ title since 1979. From there, it was easy crusing because the duo secured each championships till 2004.
The second is Kimi Raikkonen, who was signed when Schumacher determined to retire on the finish of 2006. The Finn had endured a winless yr (2006), however every part modified in his first race with the crimson automotive. In a hard-fought 2007 marketing campaign, he battled Felipe Massa and the McLaren duo of Alonso-Hamilton for the title, ultimately successful by a single level due to a mistake by Lewis Hamilton within the penultimate race of the yr.
Lauda and Scheckter
Additional again in time, there’s Niki Lauda. Regardless of his struggles, the Austrian did sufficient to seize Enzo Ferrari’s curiosity and joined the workforce in 1973. Lauda shortly repaid the workforce’s belief by successful in his fourth race, securing one other victory at Zandvoort, and taking off from there, successful each championships in 1975.
The next yr, he suffered a horrific accident on the Nürburgring, but extremely returned six weeks later and completed the season second. He in the end gained the 1977 championship with two races to spare earlier than leaving Ferrari.
Jody Scheckter is the penultimate identify on the listing. His early F1 years had been tumultuous, with the South African below scrutiny for inflicting accidents, together with a extreme crash on the 1973 British GP. This incident led his workforce – McLaren – to sideline him for 4 races.
Over the subsequent three years with Tyrell, the problems subsided, and Scheckter grew to become a GP winner. After two extra years, he signed with Ferrari in 1979.
In his first season with the Maranello workforce, the South African constructed a stable relationship with teammate Gilles Villeneuve, with each scoring three wins every. Scheckter, nevertheless, scored 4 extra factors, changing into the drivers’ champion and securing Ferrari the constructors’ title.
José Froilan Gonzalez
José Froilan Gonzalez’s identify will not be as well-known as different previous icons, however he was pivotal to Ferrari’s historical past. Gonzalez first drove for the Scuderia on the 1951 French GP, ending second alongside Alberto Ascari. On the subsequent occasion, the British GP, Gonzalez did even higher, securing Ferrari’s first-ever F1 victory.
Gonzalez returned to Ferrari in 1954, claiming one other win at Silverstone and triumphing on the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the Italian workforce. He retired in 1960.
The 5 Strikes by Ferrari That Didn’t Pay Off
Mansell, Prost, and Vettel
Throughout a four-year stint at Williams between 1985 and 1988, Nigel Mansell completed runner-up twice within the drivers’ title combat. However when the automotive grew to become much less aggressive in 1988, the Briton seized the chance to maneuver to Ferrari for 1989.
A debut victory with the Scuderia acquired issues off to a terrific begin, and Mansell grew to become a fan favourite. Nonetheless, after one other win in Hungary, issues grew to become extra difficult in 1990.
A troublesome season and a tough relationship with new teammate Alain Prost led Mansell to announce his retirement from the game at Silverstone.
Alain Prost joined Ferrari in 1990 after a controversial collision with McLaren teammate Ayrton Senna at Suzuka in 1989. Prost gained the title that yr, however in 1990, it was Senna’s flip, colliding together with his Ferrari rival.
In 1991, Ferrari’s tempo dropped considerably, marking the primary season through which the Frenchman didn’t win a race. Prost publicly criticized the workforce throughout his struggles, main Ferrari to promptly fireplace him with one race remaining within the season.
Sebastian Vettel loved a historic run with Crimson Bull, successful 4 consecutive titles from 2010 to 2013. He joined Ferrari in 2015 and gained in his second race for the Italian workforce in Malaysia. Nonetheless, Mercedes dominated because the season progressed.
In 2017 and 2018, Ferrari got here near successful however was in the end outdone by Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. After new teammate Charles Leclerc outperformed him in 2019, Ferrari introduced earlier than the 2020 season started that Vettel would get replaced by Carlos Sainz in 2021.
Alonso and Fisichella
Fernando Alonso – a 2-time world champion with Renault (2005-06) – made a direct impression at Ferrari, successful on his debut on the 2010 Bahrain GP.
4 extra wins adopted that season, and the Spaniard’s second-place end within the championship raised expectations. In 2011, Ferrari took a step again, however in 2012 Alonso got here near a 3rd title, shedding to Vettel by three factors.
The identical state of affairs repeated in 2013, and the workforce’s efficiency fell sharply in 2014 because of new engine rules. Alonso left Ferrari to rejoin McLaren in 2015.
Lastly, Giancarlo Fisichella was known as up by Ferrari following Felipe Massa’s accident in Hungary in 2009. Whereas Massa recovered to return in 2010, Ferrari initially introduced in Luca Badoer as a alternative, however after some points, the Italian was recruited from Power India.
Giancarlo Fisichella grew to become one of many few to race for his nation’s most well-known workforce. Nonetheless, the change didn’t yield outcomes. His greatest end was ninth in his Monza debut.
That was the final season for the Italian, who stayed on because the Maranello workforce’s reserve driver in 2010.
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