Lewis Hamilton’s ‘greatest challenge’ revealed as Ferrari drop 2024 livery hint – F1 news round-up

Henry Valantine 10 Feb 2024 10:00 PM

Lewis Hamilton will join up with Ferrari from the 2025 season.

Saturday’s F1 news saw Stake F1 post themselves at a filming day in Barcelona and much more besides, with the countdown to testing on.

The headlines continue to come through as we’re in the middle of launch season however, with plenty going on from around the F1 world as the build-up to the new season continues apace.

Let’s take a look at Saturday’s headlines.

Charles Leclerc will be one of Lewis Hamilton’s ‘biggest challenges’

When Lewis Hamilton goes up against Charles Leclerc next year, David Coulthard has predicted that the seven-time World Champion will have a huge task waiting for him to try and beat his new team-mate.

“I just never imagined he would effectively – even on good terms – break that winning relationship that’s been going since he was 12 years old with Mercedes,” Coulthard said on the Formula For Success podcast.

“But that said, I think it’s very exciting for Formula 1. It will give a huge impetus to Ferrari when it comes to bringing [in] engineers and people really understand that they’re getting an unbelievable driver.

“But, I have to say, I think he will find one of his biggest challenges in Charles Leclerc.

“Charles is a young, brilliantly fast race driver. Yes, he doesn’t have the World Championships and experience of Lewis, but I think he’s a Champion in waiting, so that may well be where Lewis faces his greatest challenge.

“I think Charles is one of the quickest single-lap drivers out there.”

Ferrari reveal new look with 2024 race suits

Sticking with Ferrari, they launched a new look by posting their 2024 race suits on social media – which may provide a hint as to what the SF-24 may look like.

Their car will be launched on Tuesday, with the race suits featuring red, yellow and the return of white to Ferrari’s colours – having gone with black in recent years.

With their special Las Vegas livery having proven hugely popular, perhaps the success of their Hypercar team and return of white might influence a new look this year…

Valtteri Bottas offers Audi update as Sauber takeover approaches

“A little bit more now that Alfa Romeo brand is out,” Bottas said of the work with Audi when asked by PlanetF1.com. “I think the cooperation will start quite soon, I would imagine because Audi already wants to be competitive in their first year. We’ve got Sauber and now they will need to work together.

“But that’s all going on behind the scenes. As a driver, whatever meetings and stuff is happening behind, we are not always aware of those things but things are starting to pick up now.”

Exclusive: Alex Wurz tells all on GPDA togetherness in F1

We spoke to Alex Wurz, former F1 driver and chair of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, and he believes the end-of-season photo with all drivers was a moment of solidarity among the grid that does not get captured often.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t there more often however, with the drivers working in each other’s interests in GPDA meetings throughout the year.

“It was a nice photo,” Wurz exclusively told PlanetF1.com of the end of season dinner photo. “I believe it is the first time ever in F1 that the same drivers progress into the next season.

“They are an incredible group of individuals with the greatest respect to each other in our closed GPDA meetings. We are here to help the stakeholders guide the sport. The passion and interest of the drivers is pure and stems from their childhood dreams to become an F1 racer.

“Every time, over and over, I am amazed that all of them do deeply care for the long-term future and health of the sport. We have the most beautiful meetings when we face fundamentals of our sport and our end of year picture is here to show all stakeholders and all other race categories that we, the F1 drivers, are united!

“The drivers highly respect each other, respect the sport’s history and only want the best for its future. Besides, we all do it for the love of racing and competition. We race united, for our sport and our fans.”

A closer look at the F1 2024 technical changes so far

Five cars have been launched and six liveries for the 2024 season, with the remaining five cars to be launched by the time Thursday comes around.

With digital renders now available of the updated designs, we have taken a closer look at them and how the new challengers differ from their predecessors.

Most striking of which appears to be Alpine so far on a technical level, and that’s only based on what we can see from the outside. Take a closer look by reading below.