Lewis Hamilton has expressed strong confidence in Ferrari’s potential for success this season after taking the wheel of the team’s new SF-25 car for the first time. The seven-time world champion, aiming for a record-breaking eighth title, believes Ferrari has all the ingredients to end their championship drought.
On Wednesday, Hamilton tested the SF-25 at Ferrari’s private track in Fiorano Modenese, northern Italy, thrilling fans who are hopeful he can lead the team to its first constructors’ title since 2008. The last Ferrari driver to win the championship was Kimi Räikkönen in 2007. When asked if Ferrari is ready to reclaim the title, Hamilton responded with a resounding “yes.”
“I’ve worked with two world championship-winning teams before, and I know what a winning team looks and feels like,” Hamilton told reporters. “The passion here is like nothing you’ve ever seen. They’ve got every ingredient they need to win a world championship, and it’s just about putting all the pieces together.”
Hamilton, 40, is one of Formula One’s most experienced drivers and is embracing a new challenge with Ferrari after struggling to keep pace with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in his final season at Mercedes. Since narrowly losing the 2021 title to Verstappen under controversial circumstances, Hamilton has faced several setbacks, finishing sixth, third, and seventh in subsequent seasons.
Despite his storied career, Hamilton admits he is experiencing a renewed sense of excitement and motivation with Ferrari. “When I was much younger, I didn’t think in my 19th season that I would be this excited,” he said. “I’ve just felt this new wave of life and energy. Winning a championship with Ferrari is the first. That’s what I’m working towards.”
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari marks a significant shift in his career. Last season, he won only two Grands Prix, with his victory at the British GP ending a two-and-a-half-year winless streak. He acknowledges the challenges ahead but remains optimistic about his new team’s potential.
“We know we have a huge amount of work to do; I know that I have a huge amount of work to do,” Hamilton said. “But everyone’s bent over backwards in this team to make me feel welcome, and I feel at home. I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
Hamilton will have his first serious drive in the SF-25 during next week’s winter testing session in Bahrain, ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne next month.
