Valentino Rossi's judgement on Lewis Hamilton's switch to Ferrari

MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi is excited to see how Lewis Hamilton fares at Ferrari in 2025.

Hamilton shocked the sporting world 12 months ago when his switch from Mercedes to Ferrari was announced.

The move brings together the sport’s most successful driver statistically in Hamilton and F1’s winningest team.

Hamilton has already had a busy couple of weeks at Maranello, testing for the team.

The seven-time world champion crashed on his third day in the car - on day two of a test in Barcelona.

Rossi, who is a nine-time motorcycle world champion, isn’t unfamiliar with making big team moves.

After initial success with Honda, he made the switch to Yamaha.

The bulk of his success came with Yamaha, however, as his rivalry with Jorge Lorenzo grew more intense, he switched to Ducati.

His time with the Italian brand was mostly unsuccessful, as he struggled to adapt to the Ducati bike.

Thus, two years later, he returned to Yamaha.

Weighing in on Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari, Rossi told Italian publication Corriere della Sera: “Of course, it’s a beautiful thing. Seeing him there, in the red suit, excites me too.

“I really want to understand how he manages. And how Leclerc manages.”

Hamilton continues F1 2025 preparations

Hamilton’s preparations for the 2025 F1 season continue this week with a Pirelli tyre test.

The 40-year-old will get to drive Ferrari’s 2024 car - the SF-24 - as Pirelli’s tyre development work continues.

The car will be slightly adjusted to match the downforce levels expected from the 2026 rules as Pirelli prepare for next year.

It will be useful track time for Hamilton as he looks to bounce back from his crash last week.