Thirty-eight days after Lewis Hamilton made his extremely anticipated debut as an official Ferrari driver, entering into Maranello and posing for the now-iconic picture outdoors Enzo Ferrari’s workplace in an all-black go well with, the seven-time World Champion is about to expertise his first true encounter with Ferrari’s 2025 equipment. It will occur through the official three-day pre-season check in Bahrain, marking the subsequent vital milestone in his transition to his new group.
It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for the British driver, who has returned to work sooner than typical to maximise his time acclimating to the Ferrari group. After spending the previous 12 years at Mercedes, the change has been a major shift in each atmosphere and expectations, and Lewis Hamilton has embraced the problem head-on.
His journey with Ferrari started with an intensive sequence of introductions. He made it some extent to fulfill with each division in Maranello, personally shaking fingers with round 1,500 Ferrari workers, ensuring to construct connections and be taught the internal workings of the group.
Simply days later, Hamilton had a sleepless evening in his motorhome, parked only a stone’s throw from the farmhouse that housed Enzo Ferrari’s workplace. Pleasure stored him awake as he anticipated his first official check in Ferrari equipment – a 30-lap session in a 2023-spec automotive at Ferrari’s famed Fiorano check monitor. The expertise exceeded his expectations, with followers cheering from behind the fences as he bought behind the wheel. His household was additionally current for the momentous event, including a private contact to the occasion.
The situation of Hamilton’s motorhome, adjoining to the monitor, made the early mornings extra manageable. He would rise at 7 am native time and start his day with a number of laps on the circuit, benefiting from the proximity of his base. The setup allowed him to seamlessly transfer between the monitor, group workplaces, and his motorhome, making it an excellent atmosphere for work and rest. It additionally offered a singular alternative to carry working lunches together with his new engineers in a cushty, personal house, dashing up his integration with the group and serving to him settle into his new Ferrari life extra shortly. Hamilton expressed that having your entire group underneath one roof was a singular expertise he had by no means encountered earlier than, noting that in his earlier group, Mercedes, the engine base and aerodynamic headquarters have been positioned in separate locations. He additionally talked about how unbelievable it was to have the monitor simply outdoors the manufacturing unit, permitting them to roll out the automotive and take it onto the monitor in Fiorano. Moreover, he shared how fascinating it was to be taught concerning the historical past of the place.
Final Wednesday, Hamilton’s transient stroll to work proved particularly useful. He and the Ferrari group had solely simply returned from London, arriving simply earlier than 4 a.m. after attending the F1 75 Stay occasion at The O2. Regardless of the late arrival, each Hamilton and his teammate Charles Leclerc had simply a few hours to relaxation earlier than the demanding day forward. Their filming schedule and first official run within the 2025 Ferrari automotive have been set to start shortly thereafter, leaving them with little time to recharge earlier than diving straight into the motion. He talked about that Charles was the primary to drive the automotive, however he made some extent to make sure he stayed awake in order that Charles wouldn’t be the one one coping with the results of lack of sleep.
Hamilton is leaving no element neglected in his efforts to settle into his new group. After years of forming robust relationships and familiarizing himself with the internal workings at Mercedes, becoming a member of Ferrari has felt like beginning over, much like coming into a brand new faculty. The reset button has been hit, and Hamilton is raring to maximise his time together with his new colleagues to make a clean transition.
A part of his integration course of consists of studying Italian by way of personalised classes, constructing upon the fundamental data he acquired throughout his karting days in Italy as a teen. Whereas English stays the first language of communication inside the group, Hamilton has made vital strides in understanding Italian. He can now comply with conversations when his colleagues communicate in Italian and has develop into comfy partaking in easy conversations together with his mechanics. These exchanges typically concentrate on private subjects, comparable to household and weekend actions, additional fostering a way of camaraderie and easing his transition into the Ferrari household.
Hamilton’s integration into Ferrari is an thrilling chapter in his profession, and he’s leaving no stone unturned as he will get conversant in his new group. After a few years at Mercedes, the place he constructed deep relationships and realized the ins and outs of the group, entering into Ferrari seems like beginning recent, virtually like coming into a brand new faculty. Keen to determine himself and settle in, Hamilton has made it a precedence to spend as a lot face-to-face time as doable together with his new colleagues, serving to him shortly construct a powerful reference to everybody.
A part of his immersion into the Ferrari tradition entails studying Italian. He has began one-on-one classes, increasing on the fundamental data he gained from his teenage years, when he raced go-karts in Italy. Whereas English stays the group’s major language, Hamilton is already understanding a great portion of what’s stated when colleagues converse in Italian. He’s additionally begun having informal conversations together with his mechanics about private issues, comparable to household and weekend actions, making his transition smoother whereas additional bonding with the group.
Hamilton’s newfound abilities in Italian got here in useful throughout an necessary second early in his time at Ferrari, when he skilled the primary crash in a Ferrari throughout a personal check in Barcelona. Although understandably nervous about returning to the storage to face his mechanics, Hamilton was met with nothing however help. The group was more than pleased for him to push the boundaries in personal testing, the place the stakes are decrease in comparison with pre-season testing or race weekends.
Getting accustomed to Ferrari’s equipment has been a major problem for Hamilton, as he shortly found that the automotive operates in a “fully totally different” method than something he’s pushed earlier than. Nonetheless, he discovered the expertise to be thrilling, and he’s been working laborious to get a greater grasp of the automotive’s setup and the distinctive terminology Ferrari makes use of. This has required an adjustment interval, however Hamilton stays assured that he received’t must drastically alter his driving fashion. Whereas he feels comfy within the automotive, he acknowledges that the actual check will come at race circuits, the place he’ll see how nicely he adapts.
To profit from his time at Ferrari, Hamilton has continued to make use of his motorhome as a base throughout his keep in Maranello. The motorhome offers him with time effectivity and luxury, however he’s additionally seeking to get a spot in Milan through the season. Though Milan is a two-hour commute from Maranello, it affords a greater stability of social connections and entry to associates, which he felt was extra beneficial than residing close to Maranello, the place he can be considerably remoted.
On the morning of his first check with Ferrari, Hamilton had an unforgettable second when he seemed within the mirror and noticed himself carrying the well-known crimson overalls for the primary time. The sight was surreal and symbolized the start of his new life with Ferrari. For him, being a part of Ferrari is an honor, and moments like these have been a continuing reminder of the importance of this new chapter.
Hamilton is genuinely revitalized by the challenges Ferrari presents. The passion he feels for this new journey is akin to the thrill he felt when he first joined McLaren and when he began a brand new period with Mercedes. He’s identified for his dedication and lengthy days on the monitor, typically being the primary to reach and the final to depart. This dedication has continued at Ferrari, however what stands out this time is his newfound pleasure to be there. Not like latest years, the place he generally felt drained by the calls for of the job, Hamilton is now keen to place in further effort and is having fun with the method of working together with his new group.
He admits that he by no means thought he’d be so obsessed with going to work at this stage in his profession. The optimistic vitality he’s acquired from everybody at Ferrari, in addition to the help from followers, has reinvigorated him. Whereas he’s conscious that some could criticize his transfer, Hamilton feels that these voices are irrelevant in comparison with the thrill of the journey he’s now on.
Although there are various new faces at Ferrari, Hamilton is lucky to have a number of acquainted names round him to assist together with his transition. He has been associates with Ferrari Chairman John Elkann for years and has additionally had common contact with Staff Principal Fred Vasseur, having raced underneath Vasseur’s management within the GP2 sequence. He additionally is aware of a number of latest Ferrari recruits, together with Jerome d’Ambrosio and Loic Serra, each of whom he labored with at Mercedes.
From the second Hamilton knew he can be becoming a member of Ferrari alongside Charles Leclerc, he made it a precedence to construct a powerful relationship together with his new teammate. Hamilton and Leclerc have all the time gotten alongside nicely, and since their pairing at Ferrari, Hamilton has made an effort to attach with Leclerc extra regularly. They share frequent floor, and Hamilton has praised Leclerc’s unbelievable work ethic and the dear insights he’s gained from his six years at Ferrari. Collectively, they purpose to raise the group, and Hamilton believes they are going to be one of many strongest driver pairings on the grid.
Hamilton is underneath no illusions concerning the problem forward. Whereas he had months of testing forward of his F1 debut with McLaren and a number of pre-season assessments with Mercedes, his time with Ferrari is extra restricted. He could have just one.5 days of operating within the present automotive through the Bahrain pre-season check, adopted by the season opener in Australia. Regardless of this, Hamilton has made probably the most of his time within the automotive, having already accomplished personal assessments at Fiorano and Barcelona in 2023-spec automobiles, in addition to extra runs in a modified 2024 automotive. These experiences have given him beneficial perception, however he admits that he’s nonetheless acclimating to the Ferrari automotive.
Hamilton stays decided to be prepared for the primary race of the season, although he is aware of that adapting to a brand new automotive takes time. He recollects it took him six months to win his first race with Mercedes, and he’s dedicated to placing within the work to be absolutely ready for race one. The Bahrain check might be a vital alternative for Hamilton to construct a rhythm with the automotive, fine-tune his understanding of its setup, and work with the group to unlock its full potential.
Ferrari appears to be in a great place after their strongest marketing campaign in years, and if they will carry that momentum into the brand new season, Hamilton could have a secure, balanced automotive that may combat for high positions. It’s going to then be as much as him to maximise that potential and profit from the pace accessible. This week’s check will present a glimpse into how Hamilton is adjusting to the brand new problem and whether or not he can rise to the event.
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