Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton has candidly spoken about his fresh team switch to Ferrari in the first in-depth interview since joining the Scuderia. The seven-time champion shocked the world of motorsport this time last year by announcing that he had decided to leave Mercedes after 12 iconic years with Toto Wolff's outfit.

With F1’s current regulations now in their fourth year, the performance gaps that gave front-runners comfortable advantages are shrinking fast. Teams that were once struggling to keep pace have had enough time with these cars to catch up on the learning curve. (See: Ferrari and McLaren’s surge last year .)

Lewis Hamilton has told CNN Sport that his move to Ferrari is “the challenge that I really needed” and that “the number one goal is to win.” The 40-year-old is hoping his move to Maranello will reignite a bid at a record-breaking eighth drivers’ championship title.

Whatever benefits Lewis Hamilton will be able to bring to Ferrari, they will pale in comparison to Adrian Newey’s Aston Martin impact. That is the blunt assessment made by Aston Martin’s two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso,