The Italian is set to begin his second Formula 1 season alongside George Russell, following a rookie year that served very much as a learning curve — marked by a natural period of development, a few inevitable mistakes, but also some genuinely impressive highs.

Mercedes, meanwhile, will unveil its new car on January 22, with expectations for the W17 running high — especially in light of the controversy that emerged just a few weeks ago over a supposed advantage the team may have uncovered in a grey area of the 2026 regulations concerning the compression ratio.

More broadly, the Silver Arrows are looking to bounce back after a ground-effect era that has fallen short of the all-conquering dominance they enjoyed during the hybrid era from 2014 to 2021, with the W17 now pretty much ready to be launched.

The young Italian’s first season in Formula 1 was not without its challenges, particularly in the opening half of the year as he found it difficult to consistently match his team-mate’s pace.

Even so, there were clear signs of his potential along the way — highlighted by a sprint pole in Miami and a podium finish in Canada. It was in the latter part of the campaign, however, that he truly began to find his feet, delivering greater consistency and a far more convincing level of performance.