Over 12 months since he surprised the Formulation 1 world with the announcement of his transfer to Ferrari, the sight of Lewis Hamilton in crimson overalls is starting to look acquainted.
Following final month’s debut in an older chassis on the Fiorano check monitor, and an look earlier than his house crowd on the F1 75 occasion earlier this week, yesterday Hamilton lastly obtained to drive the primary Ferrari he’ll race.
That is solely the third completely different group Hamilton has joined since making his F1 debut in 2007. Nonetheless he has little doubt the group which completed simply 16 factors off the constructors’ title final 12 months is able to finish its lengthy wait for an additional title.
“I’ve labored with two world championship-winning groups earlier than, I do know what a successful group appears to be like and seems like,” he instructed media together with RaceFans after his first run within the new SF-25 yesterday. “The fervour right here is like nothing you’ve ever seen. They usually’ve obtained completely each ingredient they should win a world championship.”
“I can’t eat pizzas all 12 months lengthy”
Though Hamilton has spent his F1 profession till this season fully at British-based, Mercedes-powered groups, this isn’t his first time in an Italian squad.
“I began racing in Italy after I was 13, in 1997,” he recalled. “I used to be there working with an Italian karting group and desirous to be taught the language.”
His early try to select up the language was not profitable, he admitted. “I keep in mind working with a mechanic and desirous to try to decide up a number of the lingo.
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“My dream has at all times been to have the ability to converse one other language, however I assume when you find yourself at all times in an English-speaking nation you’re not pressured to, essentially. It makes it perhaps somewhat bit more durable. But it surely was a language that I cherished attempting to be taught again then and I by no means fairly completed it.”
Since returning to Italy Hamilton is making a renewed effort to select up extra Italian. “I’m slowly getting there,” he mentioned. “I feel consistency is essential and that’s why I actually love being right here on the manufacturing unit, as a result of I’m attending to observe increasingly more every day.”
He has additionally used his first weeks on the group to indulge his fondness for the native delicacies. “I’ve had already fairly just a few pizzas,” he grinned, “however by some means I’ve misplaced weight. Final week I had three pizzas.
“I like Italian meals, I at all times have. I keep in mind popping out right here after I was racing with Nico [Rosberg] on the time, we used to exit and get gelato each freakin’ evening and we used to eat a variety of pizza.”
He names penne arrabiata as his “favorite dish” and likewise has a fond reminiscence of a lasagne made for him – earlier than he stopped consuming meat – by his mechanic’s mother-in-law. “She made me probably the most insane lasagne after I was 13 years previous and I by no means forgot about it.”
“However I’ll have to observe my food regimen,” he provides. “That’s going to be laborious. I can’t eat pizzas all 12 months lengthy, in any other case I gained’t match within the automotive.”
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“I must elevate in completely each space”
The information of Hamilton’s transfer to Ferrari inevitably prompted comparisons with previous champions who moved to F1’s most historic group in pursuit of glory. Since Kimi Raikkonen grew to become the final driver to win a title in a Ferrari within the 12 months Hamilton made his debut, two different champions have tried and did not emulate him.
Each gained races for the group, nevertheless. Certainly, Fernando Alonso gained on his debut and Sebastian Vettel triumphed in his second begin for the group. Hamilton, who’s making solely the second group change of his profession, admits he has gained a deeper admiration for his or her achievement.
“These guys did an incredible job and I’ve enormous respect for these two drivers. Having joined groups earlier than, the step it takes and the quantity of labor that goes on to acclimatising is extraordinary. So it makes these outcomes that they’d much more distinctive than even I had appreciated earlier than.”
Hamilton arguably faces an much more difficult job than they did, as pre-season testing now consists of simply three days – so one-and-a-half per driver.
“Thankfully I’ve had a superb little bit of time within the automotive. I nonetheless am acclimatising. It took me six months I feel at Mercedes to get my first win. I’m doing every part I can to be prepared for race one.”
After an typically irritating last season at Mercedes, which nonetheless yielded two wins, Hamilton has clearly been reinvigorated by his first change of group in additional than a decade.
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“I understand how lengthy it takes to construct belief, develop inside a group and develop with individuals,” he mentioned. “I’ve skilled that with Mercedes, I skilled that with McLaren and I actually cherished the longevity that I had inside these locations and the bonds that we created in that point.
“They don’t occur in a single day. However this step, it’s enormous. It couldn’t be any larger. The organisation is very large. The fervour provides to it from the followers, the tifosi, the individuals inside, for that need 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.”
He’s pushing himself laborious to make a hit of it. “I made a decision to come back into this 12 months, my decision, my life, my mentality is that okay, I must elevate in completely each space on my facet. It’s not simply that is who I’m and simply obtained to gel in, I’ve obtained to raise in my health, my time administration, how I interact with my engineers, how a lot time I spend within the manufacturing unit, all these various things.
“I’ve undoubtedly executed that and I’m doing that and I’ll proceed to try this on this drive for perfection and to realize the success that I’m aiming to realize. But it surely’s a variety of work, I’ve to say.”
Ferrari’s “utterly completely different” automotive
He obtained his first impression of the work concerned when he made his debut on the wheel of one of many group’s automobiles final month. After 18 years and 356 grands prix powered by Mercedes, he was shocked by the distinction he found.
“It’s utterly completely different. I assumed ‘it’s one other Formulation 1 automotive’. After I went from McLaren to Mercedes there have been similarities, however I assume it’s nonetheless powered by Mercedes so the sound, the vibration was all the identical, or comparable.
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“While that was a barely completely different attribute of automotive, this can be a step, with the entire thing being utterly completely different. It’s a very thrilling expertise, that is one thing I’ve actually loved attempting to wrap my thoughts round. Notably additionally simply within the settings and the terminology they use, the completely different ways in which they will arrange a automotive, that’s taken some getting used to, for certain.”
However regardless of the unfamiliarity – and having solely executed 100 kilometres within the new automotive to this point – Hamilton says the early indicators are promising.
“It’s uncommon that you just simply soar in and it simply suits. For instance, the steering wheel is totally completely different. All the pieces, all of the change settings are utterly completely different. The software program is completely different, every part.
“Not solely with that, I’m having to adapt to a automotive that’s made fairly in a different way to what I’ve labored with him up to now. To realize the same kind of factor, the sensation is loads completely different.
“However I don’t really feel like at present I’m having to alter my driving type an excessive amount of. I’m really feeling fairly comfy within the automotive and simply taking it one step at a time.
“I hope, and we’ll see as we get additional down the road at the actual race circuits that we’re going to, simply how a lot aligned and the way a lot change I’d must do. However the secret’s to be open-minded to being dynamic and I feel fortunately with my expertise, I ought to be capable to do this.”
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“Like a brand new life”
Hamilton’s run of title wins was halted first by the controversial conclusion to 2021 after which by Mercedes’ incapacity to grasp F1’s ‘floor impact’ guidelines. Regardless of his return to successful methods final 12 months, he constantly under-performed in qualifying, and produced just a few off-colour performances which left some questioning whether or not his greatest days are behind him.
However after 12 months of anticipating his transfer to Ferrari, now it has occurred, Hamilton seems to have a brand new lease of life. Having as soon as dismissed the potential of racing previous his fortieth birthday – which fell final month – Hamilton admits the late profession problem of becoming a member of the storied Ferrari group has given him a shot within the arm.
“After I was a lot youthful, I undoubtedly didn’t assume in my nineteenth season that I might be this excited. I by no means thought at this level in my profession I might have a lot pleasure. Being at work, desirous to be at work early, wanting to place even additional ranges of labor in to realize the dream. However right here I’m.
“It actually is sort of a new life… I’ve simply [found] this new lifestyle and power. I assume I’ve obtained that from everybody right here, from the followers, from the way in which individuals have reacted to me becoming a member of.
“In fact you’ve obtained just a few individuals that may say a destructive factor right here and there. But it surely doesn’t contact what we’re doing and what we’re working in the direction of.”
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