Lewis Hamilton has given his honest first impression of working at Ferrari following his move to the iconic Formula One team ahead of the 2025 season. Hamilton revealed that he was “expecting energy” at Ferrari’s Maranello base, given the passion that the team is known for. But did the team meet his expectations?
Despite a long and successful 12-year career at Mercedes, where Hamilton celebrated eight team championships and six drivers’ titles, the seven-time world champion decided to switch teams, seeking his eighth title with the legendary outfit.
The presence of his former GP2 team boss, Fred Vasseur, who is now the team principal at Ferrari, is said to have played a major role in Hamilton’s decision to make the big switch.
But since his move to the red team, Hamilton has been struggling to adapt to the Ferrari SF-25 F1 car, and as a result, he has yet to win a race or secure a podium finish. The last race at the Hungaroring saw him start the race in P12. Failing to gain positions, Hamilton finished in the same place.
When asked recently about his Ferrari onboarding and if the team met his expectations, Hamilton gave a positive reply. He told French publication RTBF Actus:
“It’s not at all what I expected, it ‘s more intense in so many areas. I didn’t expect that. I didn’t think the team at the factory would be so impressive. I was expecting energy, but this… it’s even more intense than I imagined.
“There’s a huge sense of pride within this team. During a shoot last week, I had a big smile on my face the whole time. I love being in red! I look at the badge and I think, ‘Wow!’ It’s Ferrari, I can’t believe it. I still have to pinch myself, I think, ‘I’m driving for Ferrari.’ It’s phenomenal.”
Following the qualifying session in Hungary, where he was knocked out in Q2, Hamilton appeared low before the media and went on to state that he was “useless” and that Ferrari should look for another driver. When Vasseur was asked if he was going to motivate the Briton, he said:
“I don’t need to motivate him. Honestly, he’s frustrated, but not demotivated. You know, it’s a completely different story. I can perfectly understand the situation. Sometimes you are making comments on what the driver is saying in the car, but if you put the microphone on some other sportsmen in football and so, I’m not sure that it would be much better.
“They are in the performance, and sometimes they are making comments, even when they jump out of the car. I can understand the frustration, but we are all frustrated. And sometimes if you ask me, I can’t say this, I will go to the stewards [for swearing]!
“But sometimes just after the race or just after the quali [qualifying], you are very disappointed and the first reaction is harsh. But we all know that we are pushing in the same direction.”
The post Lewis Hamilton Reveals Honest Ferrari Verdict After Bombshell 2025 Switch appeared first on Newsweek.
