Lewis Hamilton has commented for the first time in front of the media about his move from Mercedes to Ferrari for next season.
Lewis Hamilton has spoken publicly for the first time about his surprise move to the Ferrari F1 team for the 2025 season.
Hamilton has previously commented on the issue only in a Mercedes press release and on his own social media accounts, but now spoke about it for the first time in front of the media.
Hamilton commented on his situation in the pre-2024 F1 tests in Bahrain.
Seven-time F1 world champion said according to Autosportthat the decisive factor was the Ferrari team manager Frederic Vasseur.
– I believe the stars were aligned. I believe that this transfer would not have happened without him. I’m really grateful and really excited about the work he’s been doing at Ferrari, Hamilton said.
Vasseur was Hamilton’s team manager in small formulas. Hamilton won the European F3 series championship and the GP2 championship in Vasseur’s team. Then Hamilton moved to Formula One for McLaren.
– I have a good relationship with Fred. We competed in the F2 series and had incredible success together. There, the foundation of our relationship has been built. We always stayed in touch, Hamilton described.
Vasseur moved to F1 team manager for the 2016 season for Renault, but quickly resigned and defected to Sauber. He was the team manager of Sauber and later Alfa Romeo until the end of the 2022 season.
Vasseur moved from Sauber to Ferrari last season. He worked in a Swiss stable Kimi Räikkönen and Valtteri Bottas as a stable manager. Like Hamilton, Bottas had driven in Vasseur’s stables even in small formulas.
– I thought that Vasseur would become a great team manager at some point and he would progress to Formula One, but at that time he was not interested in that, Hamilton said.
– It was really great when he jumped to Alfa. When he jumped into the Ferrari, I was just so happy about it.
Ferrari fans and Michael Schumacher ignite
Hamilton had already signed an extension contract with Mercedes last August, but at the beginning of the year he used the option to cancel the last year of the contract.
– When I signed a contract in the summer, I saw my future at Mercedes, but an opportunity came at the end of the year. I decided to go for it, Hamilton said.
Hamilton, the team’s former junior who drove for Mercedes for 26 years, said his decision to leave was the hardest in his life. However, Ferrari appealed to Hamilton in other ways than the team manager.
Hamilton recalled to the media how he admired another seven-time F1 champion when he was young Michael Schumacher driving. He also brought up the Ferrari fans.
– When you go to the Italian GP, you see a sea of Ferrari fans. He just admires it. The team hasn’t been successful for a long time, Hamilton said, referring to how Kimi Räikkönen is Ferrari’s most recent drivers’ world champion from 2007.
– I see this as a big challenge. As a child, I played with Michael Schumacher in computer games. This is really my dream. I’m really excited about it.
Hamilton has not yet had time to visit the fabled Ferrari factory in Maranello. He now plans to learn Italian as well.
– In all these years, I have not managed to learn other languages, but of course I am trying, Hamilton said.
– I remember driving karts in Italy and being able to learn a few phrases. I hope they will be remembered quickly.