Last month, Lewis Hamilton wore his Ferrari suit for the first time and it took him a while to get used to his new look.
While wearing a suit is automatic, it is an honor to wear Ferrari’s signature red because of the thousands of times they have completed their careers. After 12 years working in Mercedes’ silver and black, this is a big change for Hamilton.
Finally, he was on Ferrari Red. He was excited and expectant. Now, after F1 launched its season in London and his first test in the 2025 car, it’s a reality.
Such a miracle is something that only Ferrari can stir. No matter how many world championships or games you win, the feeling of being part of a successful team in Formula 1 is unparalleled. That’s what made Hamilton want to take action and why he’s been excited since he started in Maranello in mid-January.
Hamilton’s enthusiasm is approaching the official start of the new season and the next chapter, showing signs of zero. After a striking final year with Mercedes, it seems that some hissing disappeared from his love for F1, which is usually stuck in a poorly performed car , Hamilton had a fresh spring in his footsteps.
He was revitalized. renew. And, importantly, he hopes he sees his sight again in Ferrari in the record-breaking eighth World Championships of 2021.
“They definitely have all the elements to win a world championship,” Hamilton said. “It’s just putting all the pieces together.”
Adapting to the new environment is not a lot of what Hamilton did in his F1 career.
Unlike more traveler F1 drivers – Carlos Sainz pointed out on Tuesday that he was driven half of the grid in 10 years – Hamilton moved only to his third team . This will be the first time he has no Mercedes engine and the first time he has not been to the British team.
“This step is huge,” Hamilton said Wednesday after Ferrari’s new car was first tested. “It will never be bigger.” A lot of adjustments were made from the vibration of the Ferrari engine behind him to the different steering wheel functions and processes. Hamilton feels a new appreciation for the driver who makes these transformations and succeeds immediately, but he is embracing the change.
“Every day, I go through something new, and it’s actually really exciting,” Hamilton said.
This includes learning Italian. While Ferrari held all the meetings in English, Hamilton started taking courses in Italy last year to better interact with his mechanics and engineers, such as chatting in daily life. Learning a new language has always been one of Hamilton’s dreams. He even gave a speech last week at the Italians at the Ferrari factory and was eager to immerse himself in Italian culture, including food. “Last week, I had three pizzas,” Hamilton revealed, noting that although he did lose weight, he knew he couldn’t keep it.
Vasseur and Hamilton broadcast SF-25 live on Tuesday on F1 75. (Sam Bloxham/Getty Images)
The efforts Hamilton and his new colleagues have not attracted attention. On his first day of visiting the factory, he tried to meet and shake hands with all 1,500 team members. “He was amazing to people,” said Jerome D’Ambrosio, Ferrari’s new deputy team principal. “The team already loved him after the first day.”
Hamilton also enjoys many aspects that set Ferrari apart, such as putting the entire team under one roof – Mercedes’ engine facilities are a 40-minute drive from the F1 team headquarters – and even the test track at the door.
Hamilton has also worked with his new teammate, Charles Leclerc. Although the two went to chat, they could only start working together after Hamilton’s official start at Ferrari. Even in Tuesday’s F1 75 live event, Hamilton rose 3-2. They show signs of a good partnership.
“The first few weeks of cooperation between the two were wealthy,” said Fred Vasseur, principal of the Ferrari team. “I was not surprised at all. We are in very good shape now. The most important thing is To maintain this relationship, continue to work as a team and push the team.”
Vasil said Hamilton is now the “perfect fit” for Ferrari, and Leclerc believes the British joins at the ideal point because the team’s mentality is now stronger than ever due to Vasseur’s leadership. The championship will no longer be rebuilt, which is Ferrari’s realistic goal.
“The fact that Lewis joined the team was a big push and was amazing in many ways,” Leclerc said. “But I feel the team is very, very calm, very calm, and very clear about where to work and not It’s very important to see what’s going on around the team.”
The most important thing is Hamilton’s performance at the start of the new F1 season and how Ferrari compares to the game.
Hamilton’s resolute Ferrari wins all the elements of the world championship for the first time since 2008. The team lost to McLaren last year only 14 points less than the builder’s championship. A very good edge – but decisive. Entering a season, Vasseur hopes that four teams will compete for a victory in the game, every thousandth of every thousand seconds will be important.
“It’s not a matter of completely replacing a car or anything,” Vasseur said. “If we can bring a small portion of the performance on one or two themes, it’s a big step forward. Lewis ( Lewis has arrived with his own experience and background. He will help the team grow in every field.”
Ferrari has chosen a major design change for the 2025 car: from push rod suspension to pull rod design, thinking it will clean up the airflow around the car and can do it after it runs out of all areas of all areas. Larger aerodynamic development year model. Although the SF-25 is a development of the model last year and the overall car concept remains the same, reducing the learning curve the team will experience, each part is new.
Even though Hamilton is confident in Ferrari’s ability to win the championship, he points out how intense the game will be this year. “It’s too early to know what the year looks like,” Hamilton said. “What we know is that the top teams will be very close. We haven’t seen other cars yet. We haven’t walked with other cars yet,” he said. Go on track.”
Lewis Hamilton greets fans while running at Fiorano Circuit on February 19, 2025 (Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images)
The goal is the title of No. 8 driver, but Hamilton’s appreciation for Ferrari deeply, he knows how important it will be to end the team’s championship drought – if anything, given how to invest in Maranello (and all over Italy) This can be achieved. . “That’s what I’m working on,” he said. “I’m not thinking about eighth place. I’m thinking about the team winning the first championship for a while.”
Hamilton knew that it was necessary to prepare for the new season, but from every interaction, it was obvious that he rediscovered the spark of this transfer to Ferrari. It provided him with a new life in many ways. At 40, he didn’t think about how his F1 career might end. He felt young and maintained his peak physical condition. This new project will only prompt him to move forward.
“The energy I received from the team, there’s magic here,” Hamilton said. “It still takes a lot of effort, absolutely everyone grafts it, everyone puts it into practice.
“But it also has something to do with faith. Everyone here dreams of winning with Ferrari, everyone on this team.”
After several years of hardship, that belief returned to Lewis Hamilton. The next few weeks will reveal the real chance of his first year in the Red. But for now, things feel good.
“I know I’m exactly where I should go,” Hamilton said. “It feels natural, it feels right.”
(Top photo by Lewis Hamilton: Sam Bloxham/Getty image)
