Lewis Hamilton has likened his upcoming Ferrari debut to his first McLaren race of his rookie season in 2007.
The British driver joins Charles Leclerc at the Maranello outfit following a 12-year tenure at Mercedes, during which he secured six of his seven championship titles. While discussing his first race with Ferrari in Australia, Hamilton said it is feeling more like his debut with McLaren than his move to Mercedes in 2013. He told to the media, including Motorsport.com:
“I’m very, very fortunate. I’ve had this amazing career here in Formula One, and starting with McLaren here in 2007 was an epic feeling, and then starting with a new team again with Mercedes was again, incredibly special. I think this is very reminiscent probably of my first year.
“I think all those years I’ve gone up and down the path of looking up and seeing the red garage, and now I’m actually in the red garage, so it’s a really nice feeling.”
He added:
“Itching to get going, I guess. It’s been a long time coming and to think that this is gonna be my first Grand Prix, one of those other firsts with the team as I experience that all through the year. I feel very honoured and very grateful to have the opportunity.”
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Photo by: Ferrari
Hamilton follows in rival-turned-friend Sebastian Vettel’s footsteps with his move to the Italian squad. The German driver, who retired from Formula 1 in 2022, recently highlighted the main difficulties which the Brit will face during the switch. He explained:
“It’s big. Anybody who changes team, it’s a big move. New people you work with is probably the biggest one. It’s a different culture. Obviously most of the teams are English, only two are Italian. That’s probably the biggest shift.
“I grew up watching Michael. He was my hero and he was most of the time in red, so to me it felt different because of that,” he explained.
“I’m not sure Lewis had the same dream, but I think it’s special for anyone who gets the chance to step into the red car.”
