“I believe that you’ve got been excellent from the primary day in Maranello till at present.”
Lewis Hamilton isn’t solely feeling the adulation of the Tifosi in addition to his new workforce at Ferrari, but in addition the Italian press seems to be loving his arrival. Up to now, the curiosity and pleasure has been monumental, nevertheless it has all been primarily based on working in earlier automobiles, or an look in his overalls on the O2 Enviornment final evening.
Wednesday was a giant milestone within the early a part of Hamilton’s newest chapter, as he drove what will probably be his first Ferrari — the SF-25 — throughout a shakedown on the workforce’s Fiorano check monitor.
Whereas Charles Leclerc was the driving force getting requested in regards to the adjustments to the automotive and the preliminary feeling — one which he stated was optimistic as nothing damaging stood out — Hamilton was talking extensively for the primary time about his transfer and what it has performed for his motivation and outlook, with one very clear purpose in thoughts.
“To me, it’s the primary — successful the championship for Ferrari is the primary,” Hamilton stated. “That’s what I’m working in the direction of.
“I don’t take into consideration the quantity eight. I’m fascinated with the primary championship that the workforce has received for a while. However they’ve already had many, many world championships over their historical past. So, for me, it’s searching for that first one with the workforce. And the way can I contribute to that? How can I assist them obtain that?”
However the quantity eight is not possible to disregard given how it could transfer him one away from Michael Schumacher to face alone because the most-crowned driver in Formulation 1 historical past, and he’s making an attempt to do it with the workforce Schumacher grew to become synonymous with.
After six weeks at Ferrari, and after talking to him twice this week, it looks like Hamilton’s personal perception has solely grown, and he admits he’s extra optimistic than ever of successful that eighth title.
“Sure [I’m more hopeful]. Sure, however I’m additionally conscious… there’s plenty of drivers that by no means ever get to win a world championship, at first. I’ve been lucky to work in two groups beforehand, work with nice organizations.
“You’ve seen within the historical past of the game, the place you’ve bought nice groups and issues don’t align and so they find yourself, a few of them not successful world championships. However this workforce already has an insane legacy. They’re not wanting what number of world championships they’ve received. So I believe of their DNA, they’ve that successful mentality.
“The competitors is fierce and also you’ve had nice outcomes from different iconic groups. McLaren now, Crimson Bull and clearly Mercedes. It’s going to be shut on the high. However I’ve bought a fantastic teammate. The vitality that I’m receiving from the workforce, there’s magic right here.
“It’s going to nonetheless take plenty of exhausting work and grafting from completely everybody, and everybody’s placing that in already to attain it. However it’s additionally about perception. Everybody right here goals of successful with Ferrari — each single individual on this workforce.”
The way it feels to race alongside @LewisHamilton 😎 pic.twitter.com/JCp5B4tja9
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) February 19, 2025
Carrying the exact same dream, Leclerc emphasised how impressed he has been with Ferrari’s capacity to stay centered and constant in its work regardless of the “craziness” he can see surrounding it. Hamilton’s arrival arguably exceeds the hype that got here with two different a number of world champions making the identical transfer within the type of Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, however their achievements are one thing the 40-year-old is eager to salute, with Alonso successful on his debut for Ferrari and Vettel taking victory in his second race.
“These guys did an incredible job,” Hamilton stated. “I’ve big respect for these two drivers and having joined groups earlier than, the step it takes and the quantity of labor that goes on to acclimatizing is extraordinary and so it makes these outcomes that that they had much more distinctive than even I had appreciated earlier than.
“What I do know is that the testing is extra restricted than ever earlier than however thankfully, I’ve had little bit of time within the automotive. I’m nonetheless acclimatizing. It took me six months, I believe, in Mercedes to get my first win. Actually, I don’t know however I’m doing every part I can to be prepared for race one.”
Testing of earlier automotive (TPC) outings have helped Hamilton put together and are an indication of how dedicated he’s to making an attempt to win with Ferrari. Testing has hardly ever been certainly one of his favourite pastimes, however he has embraced it this time round as a result of he says his new dwelling requires an excellent larger effort than he’s ever requested of himself earlier than.
“It’s given me much more appreciation, as I’ve talked about, about Sebastian and Fernando becoming a member of right here,” he stated. “I’ve watched over time, drivers transferring round — some transferring round much more than others — and I understand how lengthy it takes to construct belief and develop inside a workforce and develop with individuals, as I’ve skilled that with Mercedes, I’ve skilled that with McLaren. I actually cherish the longevity that I had inside these locations and the bonds that we created in that point. They usually don’t occur in a single day.
“However this step is big. It couldn’t be any larger. The group is very large. The eagerness provides to it — from the followers, from the Tifosi, from the individuals inside — to that want to need to win. And also you don’t need to let individuals down. You need to have the ability to ship in your phrase.
Lewis and the tifosi 🤝 pic.twitter.com/z3tmwqHPAr
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) February 19, 2025
“How I made a decision to return into this 12 months, my decision, my mentality, is I must elevate in completely each space on my aspect. It’s not simply, ‘That is who I’m and I’ve simply bought to jel in.’ I’ve bought to raise in each single [area]: My health, my time administration, how I interact with my engineers, how a lot time I spend within the manufacturing facility, all these various things. I’ve undoubtedly performed that and I’m doing that and I’ll proceed to try this on this attempt for perfection and to attain the success that I’m aiming to attain.
“However it’s plenty of work, I’ve to say. The entire new tradition, completely different language, all the brand new manufacturers that I’m attending to work with — daily is new, I’m experiencing one thing new, which truly is actually thrilling.
“And within the quick house of time, it’s actually not a very long time from the day you be part of the workforce to the primary race. Possibly for you [media] guys, you’re feeling it’s drawn out, nevertheless it’s not — it’s very quick and there’s no shortcuts which you can take. And we’re not taking it, we’re simply placing the work in and we’re grafting.”
The Italian journalist who had informed Hamilton he had been excellent to this point needed one phrase from him to sum up his expertise and emotions to date.
“Emozionante,” was the one the seven-time world champion selected. As soon as once more, it’s exhausting to say that’s something however the excellent match.
“We all know now we have an enormous quantity of labor to do. I do know that I have an enormous quantity of labor to do. I’m nonetheless acclimatizing — I’ve solely been right here a month, or simply over a month, so I’m nonetheless acclimatizing to a very new automotive, a very new means of working, however everybody’s bent over backwards on this workforce to make me really feel welcome. And I actually really feel at dwelling.
“I do know I’m precisely the place I’m presupposed to be. It feels pure. It feels proper.”
