Hamilton says Ferrari challenge driven by ‘instinct’

Lewis Hamilton has revealed that a simple gut feeling led to his decision to leave Mercedes and embark on a bold new journey in F1 with Ferrari.

Hamilton's track debut for the Scuderia this week was a big moment for the seven-time world champion as well as for Italy’s House of Maranello.

Only time will tell if Hamilton succeeds in reviving his fortunes with Ferrari, but the mutual determination and ambition between the two parties is undeniable.

Hamilton’s Leap of Faith

Speaking to LinkedIn’s “Get Hired” newsletter – an appropriate forum for career reflections, the 105-time Grand Prix winner admitted that his move to Ferrari was driven by intuition rather than certainty.

“Ultimately, every new opportunity is a total leap of faith,” he said.

“None of us can predict the future so changing jobs, or in my case teams, is always going to come with some level of risk.”

Stagnation vs Change

Hamilton underscored the importance of embracing challenges to avoid stagnation.

“But I believe there’s more of a risk in staying somewhere you’re comfortable and in getting complacent.

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• Hamilton: Ferrari debut ‘one of the best feelings in my life’

“Call it instinct or a gut feeling, but I knew that signing with Ferrari was the right move for me and that it would give me the challenge I needed.

“There are so many incredible people in the team that I can’t wait to work with, and I have total faith that we’ll achieve great things together,” Hamilton said.

A Familiar Beginning

Interestingly, Hamilton’s father, Anthony Hamilton, who has been a constant presence throughout his son’s career, likened the moment to Lewis’s first test with McLaren at the end of 2006, shortly after the young gun had won the GP2 Series title.

“You know what? This feels just like the first day at McLaren,” Hamilton SR told the Daily Mail as he watched his son don Ferrari red for the first time.

Hamilton’s career has been defined by his rare, but daring moves. After debuting with McLaren in 2007, he won his first world title in 2008.

His switch to Mercedes in 2013, initially questioned, transformed the team into an unstoppable force, delivering six world championships, and elevated its start driver to the rank of F1 legend.

Now, with Ferrari, Hamilton embarks on a mission to return Formula 1’s most storied team to the pinnacle of the sport, aiming to secure their first drivers’ title since 2007.

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