Lewis Hamilton has received a major boost as he looks to win a record-breaking eighth drivers' championship following his switch to Ferrari.
With seven Formula 1 titles under his belt already, Hamilton has now joined up with his new team, embarking on a fresh adventure with the iconic Italian outfit at 40 years old.
The seven-time champion opted to ditch Mercedes following three seasons of underperformance, with the team falling out of championship contention in recent seasons, despite previously having had tremendous success.
In his last three seasons with the Brackley outfit, for example, Hamilton only achieved two race victories, despite winning 82 grands prix and six world championships in the nine seasons before that.
Ferrari's radical 2025 car design
Hamilton is not the only former Mercedes star that has opted to join Ferrari, with a couple of other team members following the Brit to Maranello.
Former Mercedes performance director Loic Serra is now the technical director at Ferrari, while Jerome d'Ambrosio is now Ferrari's deputy team principal and head of the Ferrari driver academy.
Team principal Fred Vasseur has already revealed that the 2025 car will be radically different to their 2024 challenger, with Hamilton hoping that he will be able to challenge for an unprecedented eighth world championship title.
Now, Motorsport Italy are reporting that Serra has identified changes to the 2025 car design to make it faster over a single lap.
Hamilton's dismal 2024 season included being dominated by team-mate George Russell in qualifying, going down 19-5 to his fellow Brit throughout the season.
That qualifying form has been leveled at Hamilton as a reason why he will not compete for a title with Ferrari, with one of the F1 grid's best qualifiers in Charles Leclerc sitting alongside him from 2025 onwards.
However, Hamilton has been handed a huge boost that may help to prevent early Q1 and Q2 exits, with the above publication stating that Serra has been focusing on the elements that make up the suspension (torsion bars and shock absorbers), aiming to make the most of new Pirelli tires, thus improving one lap pace.
If Hamilton can qualify well, his performance in races have been as strong as ever, making for a potentially exciting combination heading into the new season.