Lewis Hamilton confident of Ferrari glory after taking wheel of new F1 car

MODENA – Lewis Hamilton is convinced this season could be Ferrari’s year after he drove the Formula One team’s car for the upcoming campaign for the first time on Feb 19, with a record eighth world title in his sights.

The Briton delighted hopeful fans by putting the new SF-25 car through its paces at Ferrari’s own track in Fiorano Modenese, in northern Italy, before stopping to salute spectators who are hoping that he can end the Italian team’s long world championship drought.

Ferrari have not won the constructors title since 2008 – they finished runners-up last season to McLaren – and Kimi Raikkonen was the last man to claim the driver’s title with them the year before.

When asked whether he thought the Scuderia were ready to win the world championship, Hamilton simply said “yes”.

“I’ve worked with two world-championship winning teams before, I know what a winning team looks and feels like,” he told reporters.

“The passion here is like nothing you’ve ever seen. They’ve got absolutely every ingredient they need to win a world championship and it’s just about putting all the pieces together.

“Everyone just has a really calm and good approach. No one’s like we’re perfect in every single area. Everyone’s like we need to elevate everywhere and they’re leaving no stone unturned to try and do that.”

At 40 years old, Hamilton is not just F1‘s biggest star, he is also one of the sport’s elder statesmen, but he is full of youthful enthusiasm for a new challenge at Ferrari after falling way behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in his final three seasons at Mercedes.

Since losing the 2021 drivers’ title to Verstappen in controversial circumstances in the final race, Hamilton has finished sixth, third and then seventh in 2024, a massive 214 points behind his Dutch rival who has won the last four championships.

Hamilton said in a video released by Ferrari earlier on Feb 19 that he thought “nothing was ever going to be new again” and he is clearly surprised at the new lease of life he is experiencing.

“When I was much younger, I definitely didn’t think in my 19th season or 19th year, whatever it is, that I would be this excited,” he said.

“I never thought at this point in my career I would have so much excitement. Wanting to be at work early, wanting to put in even extra levels of work to achieve the dream... I’ve just felt this new wave of life and energy.

“For me it’s the first. Winning a championship with Ferrari is the first. That’s what I’m working towards. I don’t think about the No. 8. I’m thinking about the first championship that the team’s won for some time.”

Hamilton has a lot to prove despite his many achievements, as in 2024 he won just two Grands Prix, and his British GP victory in July ended a 2½-year winless streak which stretched back to the now infamous 2021 season.

And he admits that he will have to acclimatise to his new surroundings before he can hope to replicate his golden years with Mercedes.

“We know we have a huge amount of work to do; I know that I have a huge amount of work to do,” he added.

“But everyone’s bent over backwards in this team to make me feel welcome and I really feel at home. I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, it feels natural, it feels right, so I think we’ve just got to continue to put in the time and take it one step at a time.

“I’m doing everything I can to be ready for race one.”

Hamilton will have his first serious drive of his new car during the winter testing session in Bahrain from Feb 26 to 28, before the season-opening Australian GP in Melbourne in March.

“I think Lewis is coming into the team at the right time,” said teammate Charles Leclerc.

“The fact that Lewis has joined the team has been a big boost and has been amazing in so many ways.” AFP, REUTERS