Hamilton unsure of quick Ferrari win, praises Alonso and Vettel

As Lewis Hamilton prepares to embark on his highly anticipated debut season with Ferrari, the seven-time world champion has expressed a newfound appreciation for the achievements of Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, who previously walked the Briton’s path at the Scuderia.

While both Alonso and Vettel were victorious at the outset with Ferrari – respectively in their first and second races with the Scuderia – Hamilton is unsure he can achieve the same feat when the 2025 season kicks off in Australia next month.

Hamilton’s move to Ferrari marks his first team switch since leaving McLaren for Mercedes in 2013.

With pre-season testing in Bahrain just days away, the Briton is still acclimating to his new environment.

Reflecting on Alonso’s instant success in 2010 and Vettel’s early triumph in 2015, Hamilton acknowledged the difficulty of adapting quickly to a new team.

“That I don’t know,” Hamilton replied when asked how long it would take for him to extract maximum performance from Ferrari’s promising 2025 car.

“Those guys did an amazing job,” he added. “I have huge respect for those two drivers and, having joined teams before, the step it takes and the amount of work that goes on to acclimatising is extraordinary.

“So it makes those results that they had even more exceptional than even I had appreciated before.”

Despite the limited pre-season testing opportunities, Hamilton is doing everything in his power to be competitive from the get-go.

“What I know is that the testing is more limited than ever before but, fortunately, I’ve had a good bit of time in the car. I am still acclimatising,” he explained.

“It took me six months, I think, in Mercedes to get my first win. Honestly, I don’t know, but I’m doing everything I can to be ready for race one.”

Building Trust in a New Environment

Ferrari has been without a world title since winning the Constructors’ Championship in 2008. Hamilton is confident in the team’s potential but acknowledges that establishing strong relationships within the organization will take time.

“It’s given me even more appreciation, as I’ve mentioned, about Sebastian and Fernando joining here,” he said.

“As we’ve watched over the years, drivers moving around, some moving around a lot more than others. And I’ve always thought to myself, for me, I know how long it takes to build trust and grow within a team and grow with people.

“As I’ve experienced that with Mercedes, I’ve experienced that with McLaren. And I really cherish the longevity that I had within those places and the bonds that we created in that time. And they don’t happen overnight.”

Pushing for Perfection

Now in his 19th season in Formula 1 at the age of 40, Hamilton is determined to make his time at Ferrari count. He recognizes the immense expectations that come with driving for the sport’s most storied team and is committed to raising his performance across the board.

“This step is huge. It couldn’t be any bigger,” Hamilton admitted. “The organisation is massive.

"The passion adds to it from the fans, from the diversity, from the people within, for that desire to want to win. And you don’t want to let people down. You want to be able to deliver on your word.

“And so I just try to… How I decided to come into this year, my resolution, my mentality, is I need to elevate in absolutely every area of my site.

“My fitness, my time management, how I engage with my engineers, how much time I spend in the factory, all these different things.

“And I’ve definitely done that and I’m doing that and I will continue to do that in this strive for perfection and to achieve the success that I’m aiming to achieve. But it’s a lot of work, I have to say.”

A Cultural Shift

Beyond the competitive aspects, Hamilton is also adapting to the cultural shift of working with Ferrari, a team deeply rooted in Italian heritage.

“Also, all the new brands, the whole new culture, different language, all the new brands that I’m getting to work with, which is really, every day is brand-new.

“I’m experiencing something new, which actually is really exciting, and in the short space of time, it’s really not a long time.

“From the day you join the team to the first race, it seems like, maybe for you guys, you’ve been this drawn out, but it’s not, it’s very short and there’s no shortcuts that you can take. We’re putting the work in and we’re grafting.”

As Hamilton embarks on his Ferrari journey, he remains cautiously optimistic. While Alonso and Vettel found early success, Hamilton acknowledges the challenges ahead and the time required to fully integrate into the team.

With his unwavering commitment and extensive experience, the motorsport world will be watching closely to see if he can deliver on Ferrari’s long-held championship ambitions.

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