Hamilton awarded early victory in Ferrari title hunt verdict

Lewis Hamilton heads into his first F1 season with Ferrari chasing the elusive and record-breaking eighth drivers' championship.

Whilst he maintains his first priority his returning the constructors' trophy to Maranello for the first time since 2008, the British driver will not neglect his own personal ambitions if the Scuderia continues to find itself within a championship window, as expected.

How the dynamic between Hamilton and Charles Leclerc develops will be fascinating to witness as the 27-year-old harbours drivers' title aspirations of his own. That could well be a determining factor in whether the former is able to vanquish the demons of 2021.

Nonetheless, the 105-time grand prix winner has been handed an early vote of confidence, with over half of F1 fans believing he will be in the fight for the drivers' title at the least.

In recent poll conducted by RacingNews365, over 63 percent of respondents said he would either win or come close to winning his eighth crown this season. And just under 40 percent of those backed him to prevail in that battle.

Conversely, only a touch under 17 percent of voters believe he will either struggle to match Leclerc or be a drag on Ferrari's constructors' title-hunting ticket.

Full results from the latest RacingNews365 poll below. Let us know what you think about Lewis Hamilton's championship chances in the comments section.