“I believe that you’ve got been excellent from the primary day in Maranello till as we speak.”
Lewis Hamilton shouldn’t be solely feeling the adulation of the Tifosi in addition to his new crew at Ferrari, but additionally the Italian press seems to be loving his arrival. To date, the curiosity and pleasure has been huge, 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 shall be his first Ferrari — the SF-25 — throughout a shakedown on the crew’s Fiorano check observe.
Hamilton arriving at Ferrari ‘on the proper time’ – Leclerc
Hamilton and Leclerc take to the observe in Ferrari’s new SF-25
The RACER Mailbag, February 19
Whereas Charles Leclerc was the driving force getting requested in regards to the adjustments to the automobile and the preliminary feeling — one which he mentioned was optimistic as nothing damaging stood out — Hamilton was talking extensively for the primary time about his transfer and what it has accomplished 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 mentioned. “That’s what I’m working in the direction of.
“I don’t take into consideration the quantity eight. I’m interested by the primary championship that the crew has gained 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 crew. 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 will transfer him one away from Michael Schumacher to face alone because the most-crowned driver in Components 1 historical past, and he’s attempting to do it with the crew Schumacher turned synonymous with.
After six weeks at Ferrari, and after chatting with 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 quite a lot of drivers that by no means ever get to win a world championship, in 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 acquired nice groups and issues don’t align they usually find yourself, a few of them not successful world championships. However this crew already has an insane legacy. They’re not wanting what number of world championships they’ve gained. 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 prime. However I’ve acquired an awesome teammate. The vitality that I’m receiving from the crew, there’s magic right here.
“It’s going to nonetheless take quite a lot 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 successful with Ferrari — each single particular person on this crew.”
The way it feels to race alongside @LewisHamilton
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— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) February 19, 2025
Carrying the exact same dream, Leclerc emphasised how impressed he has been with Ferrari’s means to stay targeted 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 mentioned. “I’ve enormous 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 an excellent little bit of time within the automobile. 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 all the things I can to be prepared for race one.”
Testing of earlier automobile (TPC) outings have helped Hamilton put together and are an indication of how dedicated he’s to attempting to win with Ferrari. Testing has not often been considered one of his favourite pastimes, however he has embraced it this time round as a result of he says his new residence 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 mentioned. “I’ve watched through the years, drivers shifting round — some shifting round much more than others — and I understand how lengthy it takes to construct belief and develop inside a crew 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 fervour provides to it — from the followers, from the Tifosi, from the individuals inside — to 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.
Lewis and the tifosi
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— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) February 19, 2025
“How I made a decision to come back into this yr, 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 acquired to jel in.’ I’ve acquired 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 accomplished that and I’m doing that and I’ll proceed to do this on this attempt for perfection and to attain the success that I’m aiming to attain.
“But it surely’s quite a lot of work, I’ve to say. The entire new tradition, totally different language, all the brand new manufacturers that I’m attending to work with — day-after-day is new, I’m experiencing one thing new, which truly is absolutely thrilling.
“And within the brief house of time, it’s actually not a very long time from the day you be a part of the crew to the primary race. Possibly for you [media] guys, you’re feeling it’s drawn out, nevertheless it’s not — it’s very brief and there’s no shortcuts that you could 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 excellent up to now wished 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 laborious 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’ve 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 automobile, a totally new means of working, however everybody’s bent over backwards on this crew 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.”