Damien Smith

Always beware hype in motorsport. Still, at the dawn of 2025, I find myself irresistibly drawn by a tractor beam of anticipation. So here goes: I haven't felt this pumped about a forthcoming Formula 1 season for years.

From how it's set up, we might well be in for one of the all-time great years of grand prix racing. How's that for hype? Given my past history of predictions for Autocar at this time of year (I can't even describe it as patchy), prepare to be outrageously underwhelmed.

HAMILTON AT FERRARI

His sign-off from Mercedes-AMG last term in Abu Dhabi was, with hindsight, note-for-note perfect, especially in the context of his up-anddown final season for the Silver Arrows. How Lewis Hamilton overcame adversity to rise on race day from 16th on the grid to fourth, with a dashing outside pass on team-mate George Russell on his last-ever lap for the manufacturer with which he has been associated since he was 13 years old, was vintage stuff from one of the all-time greats. So he's lost it, has he? Not yet.