He won't race for Ferrari until next week in Australia, ending 13 months of hype since he announced his decision to leave Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton's first race for Ferrari in Australia next week is reminding him of how he felt ahead of his Formula One debut for McLaren in Melbourne in 2007.

With F1’s current regulations now in their fourth year, the performance gaps that gave front-runners comfortable advantages are shrinking fast. Teams that were once struggling to keep pace have had enough time with these cars to catch up on the learning curve. (See: Ferrari and McLaren’s surge last year .)

Lewis Hamilton has revealed his immediate reaction to Fred Vasseur calling him about joining Ferrari – as anticipation builds towards his race debut with the team next week. The seven-time F1 world champion shocked the sporting world last year when he announced he would be leaving Mercedes – after 12 years and six world championships – at the end of the 2024 season.

Lewis Hamilton may have a joint-record seven Formula 1 titles to his name, but he suggested winning the championship with Ferrari would be the most important yet.

Lewis Hamilton's first race for Ferrari in Australia next week is reminding him of how he felt ahead of his F1 debut for McLaren in Melbourne in 2007.