The missing ingredient: Why Lewis Hamilton can lead Ferrari to Formula 1 glory

As someone who has followed Lewis Hamilton's F1 career extremely closely for over a decade, it was easy to appreciate the magnitude of his first win for Ferrari and the plaudits. After all, I've spend a huge chunk of my spare time researching and writing about his decision to move from Mercedes to Ferrari for a shot at winning the F1 title for my recently published book, Lewis in Red. However, now I have had time to let that victory sink in, and perhaps rather like Hamilton will be asking his Ferrari team today in Maranello, what's next?

The answer is simple. A full-out campaign to win the F1 title. Now, with three podiums, including that victory in Barcelona, plus a hefty upgrade package for the race in Spain, I am anticipating Ferrari, led by Hamilton, to seriously challenge for that elusive eighth world title that would move him clear of the all-time record he currently shares with Michael Schumacher.

If Ferrari are looking for inspiration, they need only look back three years to McLaren's extraordinary mid-season transformation in 2023. That campaign serves as a reminder that championships are not won in March, April or even June. They are won through relentless development, operational excellence and the ability to seize momentum when it arrives.

McLaren began the 2023 season in disarray. Team principal Andrea Stella openly admitted the car had failed to meet targets. The MCL60 was uncompetitive, and the team found itself languishing in the midfield while rivals surged ahead. Few would have predicted what came next.

A major upgrade package introduced around the Austrian and British Grands Prix transformed McLaren from a midfield outfit into arguably Red Bull's closest challenger for much of the second half of the season. Lando Norris became a regular podium contender, Oscar Piastri secured a sprint victory, and McLaren scored more points than any team bar Red Bull over the latter stages of the campaign.

Formula 1's current regulations allow for substantial gains when teams correctly identify weaknesses and aggressively pursue solutions. McLaren's resurgence was not based on luck but the result of understanding where the car was losing performance and executing a development programme that unlocked significant lap time.

Ferrari possess the resources, infrastructure and talent required to do exactly the same. The gap to Mercedes may have appeared substantial at the start of the year but Hamilton in Barcelona was more that equal on pace.

But Ferrari's challenge is not simply to improve their car. It is to maintain belief while doing so. That is where Hamilton becomes such an important figure.

Much of the criticism surrounding Ferrari's decision to sign Hamilton focused on his age and his wages. Critics questioned whether the seven-time world champion remained worth the investment. Others argued Ferrari should have prioritised youth rather than experience.

Those arguments ignored one crucial fact. Hamilton is a winner. He is able to provide an ingredient that has been missing from Ferrari. Those drivers before him had all tried but ultimately failed to deliver the title to Maranello. Greats such as Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel had tried, but ended fruitless.

His career is littered with examples of overcoming adversity. He won his first world title in dramatic circumstances in 2008. He recovered from difficult seasons at McLaren before making the bold switch to Mercedes. That move was heavily criticised at the time, yet it ultimately delivered six further world championships.

Even when he has not possessed the fastest car, Hamilton has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to maximise opportunities.

The 2021 season remains perhaps the clearest example. Entering the latter stages of the championship, many believed Max Verstappen had one hand on the trophy. Hamilton responded by producing one of the strongest runs of his career, winning races under immense pressure and dragging the title fight to the final lap of the season.

Ferrari knew exactly what they were buying when they signed him. They were not signing Hamilton solely for qualifying speed or outright pace. They were signing a driver who understands how championships are won. They were signing someone capable of maintaining belief during difficult periods and applying pressure when opportunities emerge.

That experience is invaluable for a team that has often appeared fragile under championship pressure. For all Ferrari's rich history, the team has frequently struggled to convert potential into titles during the modern era. Strategic errors, operational mistakes and an inability to sustain momentum have repeatedly undermined championship campaigns.

Hamilton brings something that cannot be measured purely through lap times or data. He brings conviction. He knows what a title-winning operation looks like because he has been part of several. He understands how to manage pressure, navigate difficult periods and keep a team focused on long-term objectives.

Should Ferrari find significant performance through upgrades, the championship picture could change rapidly. If that happens, there are few drivers better equipped to capitalise than Hamilton.

McLaren's remarkable 2023 turnaround demonstrated that fortunes can change dramatically over the course of a Formula 1 season. Ferrari now need to follow a similar path. If they do, they have one major advantage waiting in the garage.

A seven-time world champion who has been here before, who understands exactly what is required, and who has built an entire career on turning possibility into reality. And one who, despite his age at 41, is hungry for victories and the biggest prize of all.