When Lewis Hamilton wore the team's first Ferrari race suit last month, he needed time to adapt to his new look.
Wearing a set of overalls is automatic for race drivers, and has been completed thousands of times throughout their careers. Wearing the iconic Ferrari red is an honor given to a few. And 12 years after Mercedes' silver and black, this was a big change for Hamilton.
Finally he was in Ferrari Red. The excitement and anticipation he felt was long. Now, the Formula 1 season is on sale in London and after his first test in the car in 2025, it's real.
Such a wonder is something that only Ferrari can stir. Whether you win a world championship or a race, the feeling of being part of Formula 1's most well-known successful team is unparalleled. That's why Hamilton has radiated excitement since it began at Maranello in mid-January, and why he wants to make a move.
Coming closer to a new season, Hamilton's enthusiasm, the official start of the next chapter, shows signs of zero sinking. Hamilton has a fresh spring on his step, as he often bumped into a low-performance car after appearing to have beaten some of the bubbles out of his love for Formula 1 .
He is being revitalized. update. And, importantly, he hopes that the record-breaking 8th World Championship, which came on a victory lap in 2021, will once again be within his sights at Ferrari.
“They absolutely have all the materials they need to win the World Championship,” Hamilton said. “It's about bringing all the pieces together.”
Adapting to a new environment is not something that Hamilton has done much in his Formula 1 career.
Unlike more Journeymen F1 drivers, on Tuesday, Carlos Sainz noted that he has been driving for half the grid in 10 years, but Hamilton is moving to his third team. It was the first time he had driven without a Mercedes engine and the first time he had not raced an English team.
“This step is huge,” Hamilton said Wednesday after first testing with the new Ferrari car. “It wasn't that big.” There was plenty of adjustment, from the vibrations of the Ferrari engine behind him to the various steering wheel functions and processes. Hamilton creates those switches and feels a new appreciation for the driver who quickly succeeded him, but he embraces the change.
“Every day I'm experiencing something new, and it's actually really exciting,” Hamilton said.
That includes learning Italian. Ferrari holds all his meetings in English, but Hamilton began taking Italian lessons last year to better interact with his mechanisms and engineers, including chit chats about daily life. Learning a new language has always been one of Hamilton's dreams. He gave a speech in Italian at a Ferrari factory last week and is keen to immerse himself in Italian culture, including food. “Last week I had three pizzas,” Hamilton revealed.
Vasseur and Hamilton debuted their SF-25 on F1 75 Live on Tuesday. (Sam Broxham/Getty Images)
The efforts Hamilton made with his new colleagues are not noticed. On his first day at the factory, he met with all 1,500 team members and tried to shake hands. “He's very amazing with the people,” said Jerome Dabrosio, the new assistant team principal at Ferrari, who worked with Hamilton at Mercedes. “The team already loves him.”
Hamilton also enjoys many aspects that make Ferrari unique, such as placing the entire team under one roof. Mercedes' engine facilities are located 40 minutes' drive from F1 Team Headquarters and are also a test track at the entrance.
Hamilton is also already working well with his new teammate, Charles Leclerc. The pair had chatted in the past, but with Hamilton's official start at Ferrari, they were able to start working together. According to Leclerc, even at the F1 75 live event on Tuesday, and at the F1 75 live event at O2, they are already playing a game of chess. They show signs of a good partnership.
“The first few weeks of the two collaborations are huge,” said Ferrari team principal Fred Vasser. “I'm not surprised at all. We're starting out in a very good way now. The most important thing is to maintain this relationship, continue to work as a team and push as a team.”
Vasseur said Hamilton is now the “perfect fit” for Ferrari, but Leclair is ideal as the team mentality is stronger than ever thanks to Vasser's coaching. I thought I was taking part in points. The championship is a realistic goal for Ferrari, as it is no longer rebuilt.
“The fact that Lewis joined the team was a huge boost and in so many ways it was amazing,” Leclerc said. “But the team is very calm, very calm and feels very clear about what the direction is that is not too affected by everything that's going on around the team. It's very important and it's great to see.”
Most importantly, Hamilton performs as the new Formula One season begins and how Ferrari compares it to the competition.
Hamilton had all the elements to win the World Championship for the first time since 2008. The team lost to McLaren last year, shy and shy of Constructors Crown. Incredible margin – but a decisive margin. It's important every 1000th of the last second as Vasseur enters the season where four teams are hoping to compete for race victory.
“It's not a problem to completely change the car,” Basser said. “If we can bring a little performance on one or two topics, it's already a big step forward. And Lewis brings his own experience with his own background. He's helps develop in all areas.”
Ferrari has chosen one major design change for the 2025 car. We believe that switching from push rod suspension to pull rod designs will be possible after cleaning up the airflow around the car and exhausting all the areas at the end. Model from 2019. The SF-25 is an evolution of last year's model, and the overall car concept remains the same, reducing the learning curve the team passes through, but all parts are new.
Even if Hamilton was confident in his ability to win the Ferrari title, he pointed out how intense the competition will be this year. “It's too early to know what this year will look like,” Hamilton said. “What we know is that it's very close between the top teams. We don't see other cars. We're not on track with the other cars.”
Lewis Hamilton will greet fans at the end of their day at the Fiorano Circuit on February 19, 2025 (Emanuelle Ciancagrini/Getty Images)
The eighth driver's title is the goal, but Hamilton's gratitude for Ferrari runs deep and knows how important it is to end the drought of the team's title. . “That's what I'm working on,” he said. “I'm not thinking about number 8. I'm thinking about the first championship the team has won for a while.”
Hamilton knows how much effort he still has to prepare for a new season, but the spark he rediscovered in this move to Ferrari is evident from every interaction. It gave him new life in many ways. At 40, there are no indications he is thinking about how his Formula 1 career will end. He feels younger and remains at peak health. And this new project is only spurring him.
“There's the energy I receive from the team, there's the magic here,” Hamilton said. “It still requires a lot of effort, absolutely implanted by everyone and everyone is putting it in to achieve it already.
“But it's also about belief. Everyone here dreams of winning with everyone on this team, Ferrari.”
After a difficult few years, that belief is back in Lewis Hamilton. The coming weeks will reveal how authentic his title chances are in his first year. But for now, things feel good.
“I know I'm exactly where I was,” Hamilton said. “It feels natural, it feels right.”
(Lewis Hamilton's top photo: Sam Broxham/Getty Images)
