The special tribute Ferrari have planned if Lewis Hamilton wins a world championship in their colours

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Lewis Hamilton is looking to become the first Ferrari driver since 2007 to win the world championship. It would, of course, be an unprecedented eighth title for the British driver.

There were moments in 2024 when Charles Leclerc had an outside chance. But he’s now been officially eliminated from contention, having fallen 86 points behind leader Max Verstappen.

While there are still 86 up for grabs, Verstappen owns the tiebreaker with eight victories to Leclerc’s three. Ferrari’s main focus from here is the constructors’ title given the surmountable 36-point deficit to McLaren.

That in itself would be a major milestone, ending a 16-year drought. It would also suggest Hamilton has timed his move to perfection.

The 39-year-old has spent most of his career in direct competition with the Italian marquee. Indeed, Ferrari’s last champion, Kimi Raikkonen, beat him to the 2007 title by an agonising one point.

The following year, Hamilton exacted his revenge, this time on Raikkonen’s teammate Felipe Massa. He passed Timo Glock at the final corner of the season-ending Brazilian GP, Massa’s home race, to seal his first crown.

There could be a ‘Lewis Hamilton Boulevard’ near Ferrari’s test track

Earlier this week, it emerged that Hamilton will use Enzo Ferrari’s house as a base next year. The house is so close to the Fiorano test track that the company’s founder could see his cars circulating.

The streets nearby are named after some of the drivers who have won world championships in Ferrari colours. For instance, there’s the Via Alberto Ascari (a tribute to the 1952 and ’53 title winner) and Piazza Michael Schumacher.

Speaking on ESPN’s Unlapped podcast, journalist Nate Saunders suggested Hamilton could receive the same honour. He’ll make himself a legendary figure in the team’s history if he delivers a championship.

“All the streets there are named after all the world champions,” Saunders said. “Lewis is hoping that one day there’s a Lewis Hamilton Boulevard or Lewis Hamilton Street around there somewhere. If he wins a championship, there will be.”

When Lewis Hamilton could make his first appearance for Ferrari as Mercedes block Abu Dhabi test

Hamilton sparked a reshuffle when he made his shocking Mercedes exit. Many of the drivers who have signed with new teams, including Esteban Ocon (Haas) and Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber), will likely drive for them in the post-season Abu Dhabi test.

However, Mercedes have blocked Hamilton’s participation. That’s because he still has commercial commitments to carry out before he officially becomes a Ferrari employee in 2025.

He won’t necessarily have to wait until pre-season testing at the end of February, though. He could start to build a working relationship with his new engineers by driving an old car at Fiorano, as permitted within the regulations.

To win the title, Hamilton will of course have to defeat Leclerc. Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan doesn’t think Ferrari will favour Leclerc, even though he’s a product of their driver academy who’s raced for them since 2019.