Lewis Hamilton has a new team, a new outlook and a new hope. Led by the sport's most successful driver, Formula 1's closest season in recent history starts on Sunday at the Australian Grand Prix.

Verstappen’s teammate last year, Sergio Pérez, has been replaced by Liam Lawson this season, with the New Zealand driver set to make his full-time F1 debut in 2025. In the drizzly conditions in Bahrain, Lawson said he was fighting “a few teething gremlins” with his car as he sought to adjust to life alongside Verstappen.

Vettel had joined Ferrari the previous year from Red Bull, where he had won four straight world championships from 2010 to 2013, dominating the sport. Yet for all his success, nothing could match the allure of racing for F1’s most famous,