The 2025 F1 season marks the start of the journey for Lewis Hamilton with Scuderia Ferrari, alongside Charles Leclerc.
The 7-time world champion ended his 12-season long campaign with Mercedes in 2024. He will now drive alongside Charles Leclerc in the Scuderia and the expectations are high.
With 7 champions under his belt, many question who will take priority in Ferrari. Hamilton’s competition being Ferrari’s own “il predestinato”, a driver who has been with the team since 2019.
Leclerc is in a very strong position and Hamilton recognises this.
“We’ve got a great relationship, and I’m just trying to observe how he works.
“He’s very, very professional. He’s clearly well-loved within this team, and well-embedded in this team, and super comfortable.”
Hamilton on racing alongside Leclerc at Ferrari F1
Having known Marnello as a second home for years means Leclerc knows the ins and outs of the factory by heart, and he is adored by the fans. The Briton also recognised his teammate’s work ethnic, saying he has what it takes to win and that he will be a tough opponent.
More importantly, however, Hamilton is excited to race alongside 8-time race winner Leclerc in Ferrari red.
“So he jumps in and he’s on it straight away. He’s very fast, and I’m completely aware of that. You’ve seen his qualifying laps he put in. He’s put great races together.
“I told him in Bahrain many years ago he’s got a bright future ahead of him. He’s only 27, so he’s very mature for a 27-year-old, I think probably more mature than I was when I was 27. And it is not going to be easy to beat him naturally, especially in his home.
“But we’ll work together, and we’ll collaborate to make sure that car is moving and the team is moving forwards in the right way. And we’re going to have some great races, I hope.”
Early season win for Hamilton?
Hamilton joins the list of World champions who made their move to Ferrari this century.
Finland’s Kimi Räikkönen made the jump from McLaren to Ferrari ahead of the 2007 season. He was victorious on his first appearance in red at Albert Park in Melbourne. Räikkönen went on to take the title by a single point at the end of the year.
Also on that list are 2-time world champion Fernando Alonso who joined the Scuderia in 2010, and 4-time world champion Sebestian Vettel who joined in 2015. One of the most interesting patterns is how fast they won their first race in Rosso Corsa. Alonso won on his debut in Bahrain, with Vettel emerging victorious on his second appearance at Sepang.
How fast will Hamilton triumph in his new colours especially in an all new set up?
“Those guys did an amazing job,” Hamilton states. “And I have huge respect for those two drivers. And having joined teams before, the step it takes and the amount of work that goes on to acclimatising is extraordinary, and so it makes those results that they had even more exceptional than even I had appreciated before.
“So what I know is that the testing is more limited than ever before. I’ve had a good bit of time in the car. I am still acclimatising. It took me six months at Mercedes to get my first win. Honestly, I don’t know, but I’m doing everything I can to be ready for race one.
“I am definitely having to adapt my driving style. It’s rare that you just jump in and it just fits. For example, the steering wheel is completely different. All this switch settings are completely different. The software is different.”
“I am adapting to a car that’s made quite differently to what I’ve worked with in the past. To achieve a similar sort of thing the feeling is a lot different.”
Having only been with two teams during the 18 seasons he has raced in Formula One, it is without a doubt that Hamilton appreciates strong personal relationships with his teams.
Having just joined Ferrari this season, it will take both Hamilton and the Maranello team time to develop a complete understanding of what each other requires.
Nonetheless, Fred Vasseur is there. The pair worked together in 2006 at ART when Hamilton won the GP2 title.
“It’s given me even more appreciation as I mentioned about Sebastian and Fernando joining here,” he says. “We’ve watched over the years drivers moving around, and some moving around a lot more than others.
“I know how long it takes to build trust and grow within a team and grow with people, as I’ve experienced that with Mercedes, I experienced that with McLaren. And I really cherish the longevity that I had within those places and the bonds that we created in that time, and they don’t happen overnight. But this step is huge. It couldn’t be any bigger.”
The pressures of joining Ferrari
The Briton also speaks out on the pressure of joining the prestige that is Ferrari. The Scuderia is the oldest surviving and most successful team in the history of Formula One. The 2024 Italian Grand Prix podium celebrations following Leclerc’s win is a glimpse into the passion and love that both Italians and international tifosi share for the team.
Joining a team rich in history definitely puts high expectations on Hamilton’s performance.
“The organisation is massive. The passion adds to it from the fans, from the people within, for that desire to want to win. And you don’t want to let people down. You want to be able to deliver on your work.
“How I decided to come into this year, and my resolution, my mentality, is I need to elevate in absolutely every area on my side. It’s not just, ‘This is who I am,’ and I’ve just got to gel in.
“I’ve got to elevate in every single area, my fitness, my time management, how I engage my engineers, how much time I spend in the factory, all these different things.
“And I’ve definitely done that, and I’m doing that, and I will continue to do that in this drive for perfection and to achieve the success that I’m aiming to achieve. But it is a lot of work I have to say.
“Also a whole new culture, different language, all the new brands that I’m going to work with. Every day I am experiencing something new, which actually is really exciting.
“And in the short space of time, it’s really not a long time, from the day you join the team to the first race. Maybe for you guys, you’re feeling it’s drawn out, but it’s not. It’s very short, and there’s no shortcut that you can take, and we’re not taking it. We’re just putting the work in, and we’re grafting.”
