Contemporary off his public debut as a Ferrari driver at Tuesday’s F1 75 Reside season launch occasion, Lewis Hamilton returned to the group’s manufacturing facility together with Charles Leclerc as Ferrari unveiled the SF-25 and put the 2025 challenger by its paces on the group’s Fiorano take a look at monitor.
Talking with Sky Sports activities F1 on Wednesday, Hamilton expressed confidence in his new group and put the prospects of one other Drivers’ Championship on the desk.
“Sure,” stated Hamilton when requested if he was extra hopeful now of securing that eighth title. “However I’m additionally conscious there’s quite a lot of drivers that by no means ever get to win a world championship, at first.
“I’ve been lucky to work in two groups beforehand, work with nice organizations, and also you’ve seen within the historical past of the game the place you’ve received nice groups and issues don’t align and so they find yourself, a few of them, not successful the world championships,” continued the Ferrari driver.
“However this group already has an insane legacy and so they’re not in need of what number of world championships they’ve received. So, I believe of their DNA, they’ve that successful mentality.”
Hamilton then famous that the competitors on the sharp finish of the grid will probably be stiff this season, paying tribute to not simply his former group however Purple Bull and McLaren, final season’s Constructors’ Champions.
However then the legendary driver declared that there’s “magic” at Ferrari.
“The competitors is fierce and we’ve had nice outcomes from different iconic groups, like McLaren and Purple Bull and clearly, Mercedes,” said Hamilton. “It’s going to be shut up the highest. However I’ve received an ideal team-mate. The power that I’m receiving from the group, there’s magic right here.”
Ferrari has not tasted a championship since 2008, when the group final received the Constructors’ Championship, and so they fell 14 factors in need of McLaren a yr in the past.
As for his or her final Drivers’ title, that got here again in 2007 when Kimi Räikkönen completed the yr with 110 factors. Simply behind him have been a pair of McLaren teammates, every with 109 factors and each of whom will probably be on the grid this yr.
Fernando Alonso, and Hamilton.
That was additionally the season that noticed McLaren disqualified from the Constructors’ Championship, which their 218 factors from Hamilton and Alonso would have secured. The group was disqualified over F1’s personal “Spygate” controversy, which concerned the theft of technical data by a former Ferrari worker that landed within the palms of a McLaren senior engineer.
Returning to the current day, Hamilton believes the personnel are in place — from management on down — to ship a title for Ferrari.
“I labored with two world championship-winning groups earlier than,” stated Hamilton. “I do know what a successful group seems and seems like.
“The eagerness right here is like nothing you’ve ever seen. They’ve received completely each ingredient they should win a world championship.”
Talking of that zeal, the feelings have been mirrored within the Tifosi who lined the take a look at monitor to get a glimpse of each Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. One supporter went so far as to chop down a tree that lined the monitor, so followers in that part may get an excellent higher view of the motion.
Hamilton then spoke of the management in place at Ferrari.
“It’s nearly placing all of the items collectively. We’ve received an ideal chief in [Team Principal] Fred [Vasseur], in [Ferrari Chair] John [Elkann], in [Ferrari CEO] Benedetto [Vigna].
“Everybody simply has a very calm and good method. Nobody’s like, ‘we’re good in each single space’. Everybody’s like, ‘we have to elevate in all places’. They’re leaving no stone unturned to attempt to try this.”
As for the SF-25, Hamilton famous that it was too early to inform simply what Ferrari has on his palms, however he stated Tuesday’s session at Fiorano was “good.”
Simply how good stays to be seen.
