Lewis Hamilton has never raced for a team outside the front of the grid, and now, as he adjusts to life at Ferrari, he’s already noticing some changes.
The sporting world was stunned upon the news that Hamilton would drive for Ferrari in 2025, after a highly successful 12-year stint at Mercedes that saw him become a seven-time world champion.
Susie Wolff recently shared Toto Wolff’s private response to Hamilton’s move, which highlighted the personal relationships he had built over years spent in Brackley.
The biggest motive for the 40-year-old was his desire to claim an elusive eighth world title. He felt like the Scuderia was the best-placed team on the grid to aid him in his hunt.
Lewis Hamilton explains how Ferrari stands out from the rest of the F1 grid
Now that he’s spent time with McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton has had a good look at three of the sport’s most iconic teams. Speaking to Ferrari’s official site, he reflected on what sets the Prancing Horse apart.
Hamilton said, “The others are a bit less… colourful. They all have their qualities, but Italians wear their emotions more obviously, for good and bad, but mostly for the good, I think.
“You see the passion every day, in the way Italians talk about food, for example. In England, you don’t get excited talking about fish and chips, you know?”
Hamilton got an early sense of that passion during his first test at Fiorano. It was clear just how much he means to Ferrari fans from the moment they arrived in the morning hoping to catch a glimpse of their new driver.
The turnout even surpassed what was seen when Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc were introduced at the same circuit.
Lewis Hamilton feels not many people ‘really understand’ how F1 works
Hamilton was also asked if he expected the move to Italy to be as big as it turned out. Already a household name with a long list of records and accomplishments, his switch to Ferrari was seen by many as one of the biggest moves in F1 history.
He said, “It’s beautiful and there have been plenty of positives, although a lot of responsibility and weight comes with it. Everyone expects to win straight away, but ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’”
When asked if people appreciate how much time it takes for an F1 team to reach its potential, Hamilton replied: “And that’s not many people. Only when you’re inside a team can you really, truly understand how it works and how F1 works.
“You can’t imagine how the machine really operates otherwise. I’ve been in F1 for so long, but when I came to this team it really was different again.”
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After a short pause, he added: “So I don’t blame people for not knowing. All I can do is continue to focus on the things that I can control. “How I prepare and work with the team. How I show up each day and stay positive.”
While his first season at Ferrari hasn’t quite lived up to expectations yet, former Ferrari driver Esteban Gutierrez believes Hamilton will make significant progress in his second year with the team.
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