Here are three points to pique your interest:

  • Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula One world champion, has made a sensational move to Ferrari, describing it as "the challenge that I really needed" and stating that "the number one goal is to win."
  • Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari has had a significant impact, with the iconic driver expressing his excitement about the new chapter in his career and the passion and pride within the team.
  • As the new Formula One season approaches, all eyes will be on Hamilton as he aims to secure a record-breaking eighth drivers’ championship title with his new team, facing tough competition from the likes of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Lewis Hamilton’s New Challenge at Ferrari

The Formula One world was sent into a frenzy when it was announced that Lewis Hamilton would be leaving Mercedes after 12 years to join Ferrari. The seven-time world champion has now opened up about his move, telling CNN Sport that it is "the challenge that I really needed" and that "the number one goal is to win." Hamilton’s decision to switch teams came as a shock to many, but he has revealed that he knew it would be a big move. "When I was making the decision, I knew it would be big. Did I know just how big? ‘How long is a piece of string?’" he said with a smile. "It’s been the most exciting couple of months that I can remember having." He added, "It’s been a big, big step and exciting … Every day’s been something completely new and the challenge that I’m having is something that I really needed. I know I’m exactly where I’m meant to be right this moment."



The Iconic Arrival

Hamilton’s move to Ferrari was only his second team switch in his near two decades in the sport since his debut in 2007. On his first official day at the team, the 40-year-old posed for a series of photos dressed in a black suit next to a Ferrari F40 supercar with the iconic converted farmhouse of the team’s founder, Enzo Ferrari, in the background. The photo, which was taken in the same square named after Michael Schumacher, with whom he sits level on seven championship titles, is now the most liked F1 Instagram post of all time. "I knew exactly what suit I wanted it and how it looked, and I chose the F40 because that’s just a dream, iconic car," he explained. "To be in front of that building, the history within all the drivers, you see them take that photo in front of it … I knew it would be an image that would stand the test of time."

Managing Expectations

The prospect of Hamilton joining Ferrari has raised hopes of him securing a record-breaking eighth drivers’ championship title. Although his last championship title came in 2020, he finished his Mercedes campaign on a high with two race wins in 2024 after two seasons without victory. However, the competition in 2025 will remain as tough as ever, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen looking to continue his domination with a fifth successive championship and McLaren’s Lando Norris a leading contender to dethrone the Dutchman. When asked if he was already dreaming of standing on the top step of the podium in the red suit of the Prancing Horse, Hamilton replied, "Honestly, I haven’t. I genuinely haven’t. It’s a very, very steep learning curve, it’s a completely new culture. The car is completely different, and it behaves differently to what I’ve experienced, the engine, the control systems, the terminology used for all the set-up, so everything is like a blank canvas and I’m trying to add some of my colors to the already great combination of colors that they have in this organization."

The Passion and Pride of Ferrari

Ferrari’s last driver’s title came all the way back in 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen’s victory, and the outfit is without a constructors’ championship since 2008. Although Hamilton’s partner at Ferrari, Charles LeClerc, finished a distant third in the driver standings, Ferrari pushed McLaren all the way last season, finishing a close second, just 14 points off the Woking-based team. Hamilton has already witnessed the key ingredients of pride and passion that could help end the team’s title drought. "I knew that there’s passion within the team, but it’s not ‘til you’re actually in the team that you see it," he said. "I’ve seen and witnessed Ferrari drivers experience it year on year on year, but to actually be in the red suit now and be on the receiving end of it is, ‘Wow’ … I’ve never seen anything like it. This team has a hardcore fan base that will rally behind them no matter what at any place, at any time. It’s something quite incredible to see. When you put you that together as a collective that’s a power that’s unmeasured."



Hamilton’s Other Interests and Focus on Winning

Hamilton, the sport’s first and only Black world champion, has grown to become its conscience, standing up against injustice and calling for more to be done to address diversity, representation and inclusion in motorsport through his charity, Mission 44. He has also spread his wings into the field of fashion, culture and music. However, he强调 (emphasized) that his full focus is now on the track. He got his first taste of driving what he hopes will be a title-challenging car, the SF-25 model Ferrari, at the manufacturer’s private racetrack in Italy this week. Preseason testing will start in Bahrain on February 26, with the opening race following soon after in Melbourne on March 16. "I’ve got a great rapport with Fred (Vasseur, Team Principal) and the team," he said. "They understand and embrace the fact that I’m different and I have these other interests, but they’re under no illusion and neither am I that the number one focus and the number one goal is to win in this team, and that’s all I care about right now."

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