Early data suggests Ferrari's all-new SF-25 could be a major step forward, with initial simulator estimates indicating it is "around four tenths" faster than its predecessor.
That performance boost has sparked optimism that Lewis Hamilton, in his first season with Ferrari at the age of 40, could realistically chase a record-breaking eighth world championship.
Red Bull's influential advisor Dr. Helmut Marko believes Hamilton, if properly motivated, could pick up where he left off in 2021.
"If Hamilton is motivated, he can continue where he left off in 2021," Marko told Österreich. "The comeback he delivered back then was impressive."
Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc completed their first runs in the SF-25 at Fiorano, with both drivers giving positive feedback.
"It felt fine," Hamilton said after his first laps.
Leclerc echoed the sentiment, telling Sky Italia: "There were no negative surprises."
Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur admitted the new car is more of an "evolution" rather than an entirely new concept, despite earlier suggestions that it would be 99% reworked.
One of the SF-25's biggest changes is its shift to pullrod suspension on both the front and rear—the only car on the grid to adopt this setup.
"We reached a limit with the old concept," explained Ferrari's technical director Loic Serra. "To give ourselves more development options, we had to switch to pullrods."
Serra, a recent recruit from Mercedes, reportedly pushed for the suspension overhaul to address Ferrari's tyre wear issues.
Meanwhile, Hamilton admitted that he is still adapting to Ferrari's environment and expects a tough battle against Leclerc.
"Charles is only 27 and he's probably more mature than I was at that age," he said. "It will not be easy to beat him, especially as it's already his home."
Leclerc got the first laps in the SF-25 while Hamilton observed, but the Monegasque driver didn't return the favour later in the day.
"I went to sleep because I came back from London at 4:30 in the morning, and at 7:30 I was already here for the first meeting," Leclerc revealed. "But I followed from a distance."
Despite the optimism surrounding Ferrari's early gains, Marko believes Hamilton's success will depend on how well he manages qualifying and tyre wear.
"Hamilton has to get qualifying right, and it was never his strength," Marko noted. "If he loses two or three tenths to Leclerc, he always has to work his way up a few positions. That puts a strain on the tyres."
As Ferrari prepares for a season that could bring them back into true title contention, Vasseur also addressed the decision not to make immediate changes to the car's nose and front wing.
"If the rules are changing, it makes sense to combine this with a development of the wing," he said, referring to the upcoming mid-season clampdown on front wing flexibility.
