Sebastian Vettel knows better than most what it means to walk through the gates of Maranello carrying expectation, history and a foreign accent.
And as Lewis Hamilton prepared to do just that at the start of the 2025 season, the four-time world champion says he offered his former rival one piece of advice he wished he had taken more seriously himself.
Whether Hamilton truly followed it, however, remains an open question.
Vettel’s own Ferrari chapter, spanning from 2015 to 2020, remains one of the most emotionally charged periods of his career.
Speaking on a recent episode of F1’s Beyond The Grid podcast, the German reflected on how different life felt when he swapped Red Bull’s familiar surroundings for the intensity of Italy.
“Different, very different. I loved it. I don't regret it and I had a fantastic time,” he admitted.
“I adapted, and I loved it. I love the British humour, I love the British people, I love a lot of things about it – the racing, the approach.”
Different Teams, Different Cultures
But adaptation, Vettel explained, is not a one-size-fits-all experience – especially when language and culture are involved.
“But in a way I think I adapted,” he continued.
“Now, I don't want to say that Lewis didn't adapt or British drivers do not have to adapt – of course you have to adapt and of course you're traveling the world and of course you're seeing things and learning – but I don't know how it is or how it would have been had my mother tongue been English, and I'm not comfortable in a foreign language, and then moving somewhere else.”
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Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari in 2025 marked his first step away from British-based teams after 18 years with McLaren and Mercedes – a seismic shift even for a seven-time world champion.
“Now, for Lewis the international language obviously happens to be is English, he was with a British team; every team is different, very different, and he was with Mercedes for a long, long time,” Vettel added.
“And then the move to Ferrari, for sure it's going to be a huge difference, because the heart and the culture of the team is Italian.”
The Lesson Vettel Learned Too Late
For Vettel, the realisation came with hindsight. While he did learn Italian during his Ferrari years, he believes he never went far enough.
“The language is English, I mean he understands everybody in the team,” he explained.
“But there are also employees that he doesn't understand because they don't speak English or they don't speak English very well, and if you don't speak a language very well, you get along but do you really get the people? And do you get the culture?”
That question still lingers for Vettel.
“I think that's a crucial mistake that I've done, looking back,” he admitted. “I learned Italian, I took classes, and I sort of got along and I understood, but I wasn't perfect.
“I should have really studied Italian more. Maybe also spend more time in Italy to really understand the culture more – because culture is also the people.”
It was this hard-earned perspective that shaped the advice he passed on to Hamilton before the move.
“And I told Lewis before when he made the move – I said: ‘The only advice I can give you, the best advice I can give you, is learn the language. Learn it really, really well.’”
For Vettel, language is not about lap times or set-up sheets – it’s about belonging.
“The way to learn a language, you have to expose yourself, so you start to speak to the people, you are in the country where they speak the language, so you're exposing yourself to the culture, so the rest will then fall into place,” he said.
“Now, of course, with racing and when you talk about your set-up and so on, you could argue it's irrelevant – it is irrelevant, but for the bigger picture, to get the culture and the spirit, it is so important.”
Advice Given — But Was It Taken?
When asked about his Italian midway through the 2025 season, Hamilton offered a candid update of his own.
“Not great. I started out having lots and lots of lessons, and then the season just got so hectic and I’ve kind of like fallen off a cliff,” he conceded.
“I need to get back on. I was on like Duolingo, I was doing other stuff; weeks and weeks and weeks I was good at it, and now literally I’ve done nothing for the last couple of months.”
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“I really want to move to Italy, but it’s been almost impossible this year. I’m there every week, but my dream is to be able to properly speak Italian.”
Hamilton’s first Ferrari campaign ended quietly – sixth in the championship, and for the first time in his career, without a single podium finish.
Vettel’s advice was clear, personal and rooted in experience. Whether Hamilton truly had the time — or the space — to follow it amid the chaos of his Ferrari debut is another matter entirely.
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