Lewis Hamilton‘s first drive in a Ferrari left him stunned. The seven-time world champion says it’s “completely different” from anything he’s experienced in his 17-year F1 career.
“It’s nothing like the car that I had before,” Hamilton said after testing the SF-25 at Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit. “I thought it would be just another Formula One car. But this is a big step.”
The switch from Mercedes to Ferrari marks a huge change for the 40-year-old British driver. Until now, he’s only ever raced with Mercedes-powered engines – first with McLaren, then with the Mercedes factory team.
Hamilton couldn’t hide his excitement about the change.
“I’ve been waiting such a long time for it,” he said. “Firing up the car was the most exciting thing that’s happened to me for as long as I can remember.”
The move to Ferrari comes after a frustrating couple of years at Mercedes, where Hamilton hasn’t won a race since 2021. Now he’s facing a whole new learning curve – from different car settings to new terminology used by the Italian team.
“It’s a really exciting experience,” Hamilton said. “I’m just trying to wrap my mind around everything. Even the way they can set up the car is different – that’s taking some getting used to.”
The 105-time Grand Prix winner tested the new Ferrari alongside his teammate Charles Leclerc. It’s a fresh start for Hamilton, who’s chasing a record-breaking eighth world championship with F1’s most famous team.
When he moved from McLaren to Mercedes in 2013, the cars felt similar because they shared the same engine. But this Ferrari? That’s a whole different story.
