Lewis Hamilton’s highly anticipated debut season with Ferrari is just around the corner, and the seven-time world champion is leaving no stone unturned in his “incredibly crucial” preparations.
After spending over a decade at Mercedes, the Briton is now fully immersed in the culture and operations of his new team, working relentlessly to adapt to the Scuderia’s environment.
Having driven Ferrari’s 2023 and 2024 cars, Hamilton recently got his first taste of the SF-25 during a brief shakedown at Fiorano.
Speaking last week to the media for the first time since making the switch, he emphasized just how vital this preparatory phase is.
“It is incredibly crucial. You’re trying to pick up as much as you can as fast as possible,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz.
His approach includes meticulously jotting down insights in a notebook, a practice designed to accelerate his learning curve as he transitions into a vastly different team structure.
Drawing on Experience
Hamilton has been here before – moving from McLaren to Mercedes back in 2013 – yet he acknowledges that this time, his experience gives him an edge in adapting more efficiently.
“I’m very, very fortunate I had the experience of going from one team to another when I went to Mercedes and obviously a much different point in my life, but I did the best I could with what I knew then,” he explained.
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“Fortunately, now I have even more experience and I’m able to, I feel, to speed that process up even more. But it is a very, very steep learning curve.
“It’s a huge organisation. They do things completely differently to what I’ve done in the last 10 years, 12 years, for example.”
Hamilton is aware that no transition is instant, and shortcuts won’t provide the solid foundation needed for success.
“I don’t know how much you can shortcut it. You still want to just build the wall piece by piece and that’s what we’re doing.
“But I feel like we have started and built a good foundation of trust between each other, the work and practices we have.
“It doesn’t feel like it’s going to be six months to learn how the team operates. I feel like we’re further along than I have experienced in the past.”
‘There’s Magic Here’
Hamilton’s move comes after a challenging period at Mercedes, where he won just two races in the last three seasons and found himself out of title contention.
His struggles in qualifying have also fueled speculation about whether his best days are behind him, but early signs indicate a reinvigorated driver ready for a fresh start.
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“The energy that I’m receiving from the team, there’s magic here,” Hamilton shared.
“It’s going to still take a lot of hard work and grafting from absolutely everyone and everyone is putting that in already to achieve it.”
More than just effort, Hamilton believes belief plays a crucial role in Ferrari’s success.
“But it’s also about belief. Everyone here dreams of winning with Ferrari, every single person in this team. I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. It feels natural, it feels right.”
As the 2025 season looms, Hamilton stands at the threshold of a new legacy.
His meticulous preparation, paired with Ferrari’s hunger, could be the formula that transforms potential into triumph.
The notebook, the trust, the magic – it’s all coming together, piece by piece, in a story that’s only just begun.
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