Thirty-eight days after Lewis Hamilton made his extremely anticipated debut as an official Ferrari driver, moving into Maranello and posing for the now-iconic picture outdoors Enzo Ferrari’s workplace in an all-black swimsuit, the seven-time World Champion is about to expertise his first true encounter with Ferrari’s 2025 equipment. This may occur in the course of the official three-day pre-season take a look at in Bahrain, marking the subsequent vital milestone in his transition to his new workforce.
It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for the British driver, who has returned to work sooner than normal to maximise his time acclimating to the Ferrari workforce. After spending the previous 12 years at Mercedes, the change has been a major shift in each surroundings and expectations, and Lewis Hamilton has embraced the problem head-on.
His journey with Ferrari started with an in depth sequence of introductions. He made it a degree to satisfy with each division in Maranello, personally shaking arms with round 1,500 Ferrari staff, ensuring to construct connections and be taught the interior workings of the workforce.
Simply days later, Hamilton had a sleepless night time 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 take a look at in Ferrari equipment – a 30-lap session in a 2023-spec automotive at Ferrari’s famed Fiorano take a look at 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 couple of laps on the circuit, making the most of the proximity of his base. The setup allowed him to seamlessly transfer between the monitor, workforce places of work, and his motorhome, making it a really perfect surroundings for work and rest. It additionally offered a novel alternative to carry working lunches together with his new engineers in a snug, personal area, rushing up his integration with the workforce and serving to him settle into his new Ferrari life extra rapidly. Hamilton expressed that having your entire workforce below one roof was a novel expertise he had by no means encountered earlier than, noting that in his earlier workforce, Mercedes, the engine base and aerodynamic headquarters have been situated 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 workforce 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 a degree 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 workforce. After years of forming sturdy relationships and familiarizing himself with the interior 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 easy transition.
A part of his integration course of contains studying Italian by customized classes, constructing upon the essential data he acquired throughout his karting days in Italy as an adolescent. Whereas English stays the first language of communication throughout the workforce, Hamilton has made vital strides in understanding Italian. He can now comply with conversations when his colleagues communicate in Italian and has turn out to be snug participating in easy conversations together with his mechanics. These exchanges typically concentrate on private subjects, resembling 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 aware of his new workforce. After a few years at Mercedes, the place he constructed deep relationships and discovered the ins and outs of the workforce, moving into Ferrari appears like beginning recent, nearly 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 rapidly construct a powerful reference to everybody.
A part of his immersion into the Ferrari tradition includes studying Italian. He has began one-on-one classes, increasing on the essential data he gained from his teenage years, when he raced go-karts in Italy. Whereas English stays the workforce’s major language, Hamilton is already understanding an excellent portion of what’s mentioned when colleagues converse in Italian. He’s additionally begun having informal conversations together with his mechanics about private issues, resembling household and weekend actions, making his transition smoother whereas additional bonding with the workforce.
Hamilton’s newfound expertise in Italian got here in helpful throughout an vital second early in his time at Ferrari, when he skilled the primary crash in a Ferrari throughout a non-public take a look at in Barcelona. Although understandably nervous about returning to the storage to face his mechanics, Hamilton was met with nothing however help. The workforce was more than pleased for him to push the bounds 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 rapidly found that the automotive operates in a “utterly totally different” method than something he’s pushed earlier than. Nonetheless, he discovered the expertise to be thrilling, and he’s been working arduous 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 gained’t must drastically alter his driving model. Whereas he feels snug within the automotive, he acknowledges that the actual take a look at will come at race circuits, the place he’ll see how effectively he adapts.
To benefit 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 trying to get a spot in Milan in the course of the season. Though Milan is a two-hour commute from Maranello, it provides a greater steadiness of social connections and entry to mates, which he felt was extra beneficial than residing close to Maranello, the place he could be considerably remoted.
On the morning of his first take a look at with Ferrari, Hamilton had an unforgettable second when he seemed within the mirror and noticed himself sporting the well-known pink 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 relentless 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 corresponding 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. In contrast to 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 workforce.
He admits that he by no means thought he’d be so smitten by going to work at this stage in his profession. The optimistic vitality he’s obtained from everybody at Ferrari, in addition to the help from followers, has reinvigorated him. Whereas he’s conscious that some might 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 mates with Ferrari Chairman John Elkann for years and has additionally had common contact with Staff Principal Fred Vasseur, having raced below 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 could 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 effectively, and since their pairing at Ferrari, Hamilton has made an effort to attach with Leclerc extra often. They share widespread floor, and Hamilton has praised Leclerc’s unbelievable work ethic and the precious insights he’s gained from his six years at Ferrari. Collectively, they intention to raise the workforce, and Hamilton believes they are going to be one of many strongest driver pairings on the grid.
Hamilton is below 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 exams with Mercedes, his time with Ferrari is extra restricted. He may have just one.5 days of operating within the present automotive in the course of the Bahrain pre-season take a look at, adopted by the season opener in Australia. Regardless of this, Hamilton has made essentially the most of his time within the automotive, having already accomplished personal exams 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 remembers 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 take a look at shall be a vital alternative for Hamilton to construct a rhythm with the automotive, fine-tune his understanding of its setup, and work with the workforce to unlock its full potential.
Ferrari appears to be in an excellent place after their strongest marketing campaign in years, and if they’ll carry that momentum into the brand new season, Hamilton may have a secure, balanced automotive that may struggle for prime positions. It should then be as much as him to maximise that potential and benefit from the velocity obtainable. This week’s take a look at 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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