“I believe that you’ve got been good from the primary day in Maranello till at present.”
Lewis Hamilton will not be 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. To this point, the curiosity and pleasure has been monumental, nevertheless it has all been based mostly on operating in earlier vehicles, or an look in his overalls on the O2 Area final night time.
Wednesday was an enormous milestone within the early a part of Hamilton’s newest chapter, as he drove what might be his first Ferrari — the SF-25 — throughout a shakedown on the workforce’s Fiorano check observe.
Whereas Charles Leclerc was the motive force getting requested in regards to the modifications to the automotive and the preliminary feeling — one which he mentioned was constructive as nothing damaging stood out — Hamilton was talking extensively for the primary time about his transfer and what it has achieved for his motivation and outlook, with one very clear objective in thoughts.
“To me, it’s the primary — profitable the championship for Ferrari is the primary,” Hamilton mentioned. “That’s what I’m working in direction of.
“I don’t take into consideration the quantity eight. I’m occupied 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 in search of 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 unattainable to disregard given how it might transfer him one away from Michael Schumacher to face alone because the most-crowned driver in System 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 profitable that eighth title.
“Sure [I’m more hopeful]. Sure, however I’m additionally conscious… there’s lots of drivers that by no means ever get to win a world championship, at the beginning. 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 received nice groups and issues don’t align and so they find yourself, a few of them not profitable world championships. However this workforce already has an insane legacy. They’re not in need of what number of world championships they’ve received. So I believe of their DNA, they’ve that profitable 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 received a terrific teammate. The power that I’m receiving from the workforce, there’s magic right here.
“It’s going to nonetheless take lots of laborious work and grafting from completely everybody, and everybody’s placing that in already to attain it. But it surely’s additionally about perception. Everybody right here goals of profitable with Ferrari — each single particular person 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 capability 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 profitable on his debut for Ferrari and Vettel taking victory in his second race.
“These guys did a tremendous job,” Hamilton mentioned. “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 happily, I’ve had an excellent 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. Truthfully, 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 one in all his favourite pastimes, however he has embraced it this time round as a result of he says his new residence requires a good 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 mentioned. “I’ve watched through the years, 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. And so they don’t occur in a single day.
“However this step is big. It couldn’t be any larger. The group is huge. The fervour provides to it — from the followers, from the Tifosi, from the individuals inside — to that want to wish to win. And also you don’t wish 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 come back into this yr, my decision, my mentality, is I have to elevate in completely each space on my facet. It’s not simply, ‘That is who I’m and I’ve simply received to jel in.’ I’ve received 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 positively achieved that and I’m doing that and I’ll proceed to try this on this try for perfection and to attain the success that I’m aiming to attain.
“But it surely’s lots 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 — each day is new, I’m experiencing one thing new, which really is absolutely thrilling.
“And within the brief area of time, it’s actually not a very long time from the day you be a part of the workforce to the primary race. Perhaps for you [media] guys, you’re feeling it’s drawn out, nevertheless it’s not — it’s very brief 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 instructed Hamilton he had been good up to now needed one phrase from him to sum up his expertise and emotions to this point.
“Emozionante,” was the one the seven-time world champion selected. As soon as once more, it’s laborious to say that’s something however the good 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 totally new automotive, a totally 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 residence.
“I do know I’m precisely the place I’m presupposed to be. It feels pure. It feels proper.”
