Christian Horner admitted the colour red suits Lewis Hamilton as he gave his thoughts on the Brit's Ferrari switch. Hamilton is a familiar rival for Horner and his team having dominated the grid for years at the height of his partnership with Mercedes. Now aged 40, he has switched to another front-runner in Ferrari as he bids to win an eighth title before he retires. Fans finally got the photos they waited so long for last week as images of Hamilton wearing Ferrari colours were released to mark the start of his work with the team. Red Bull chief Horner referred to them as he sounded excited about the prospect of taking on the seven-time champion as a Ferrari driver.

Speaking at the Autosport Awards, he said: "I've seen some pictures, I think it suits him. I think it's great for Formula 1. Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari, that really is box office. So I think it's just another dynamic for this year that could be super exciting.". The upcoming 2025 season is the final of the current regulations cycle. New design rules for 2026 are already taking up much of every team's focus as no-one wants to be left behind and spend years playing catch-up to their rivals when the new cycle begins.

With that in mind, and given how competitive the 2024 campaign was at times, many have predicted that the upcoming season may be nail-bitingly close with up to four different teams - defending champions McLaren and Hamilton's old team Mercedes, as well as Red Bull and Ferrari - being potential title contenders. That was a prediction echoed by Horner as he suggested Red Bull are going to have to be at the top of their game to hold off the challenges of all their rivals. He added: "I think it's going to be super tight. You're going to have four teams that are going to be very competitive.

"I think it's going to be very tight, and take your pick. McLaren are going to be strong, Ferrari are going to be strong, Mercedes are going to have something to prove as well so it could be a stellar year.". Hamilton's preparations for his first Ferrari season encountered a bump in the road on Wednesday as he crashed while testing the SF-23 in Barcelona. He was unhurt but the damage done to the car meant that was the end of his running.

The Brit will be back on track in Spain next week, though, as he and team-mate Charles Leclerc are set to take part in a Pirelli tyre test. It will provide Hamilton with his first experience behind the wheel of Ferrari's most recent car, the SF-24, which the team is set to modify to help simulate what the downforce is likely to feel like on his actual racing machine for the upcoming season. Catch all the action from Formula One on Sky Sports and get exclusive access to races, qualifying and much more for every Grand Prix. From Max Verstappen to Lewis Hamilton, you won't miss a lap on Sky Sports.