Hamilton praises Ferrari's differences: 'Nothing like what I've had'

Hamilton: 'The Ferrari is completely different'

Hamilton emphasised that driving a Ferrari F1 car is a completely unique experience, unlike any of the cars he previously raced with McLaren and Mercedes—teams with which he secured his seven world titles. The 40-year-old Briton got his first taste of the SF-25 at Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit, alongside his new teammate, Charles Leclerc.

Speaking to GPblog and others, the 105-time Grand Prix winner said: "It's completely different. I thought, ‘It's another Formula One car.’ I thought it would be [like] when I went from McLaren to Mercedes; there were similarities, but I guess it's still powered by Mercedes. So the sound, the vibration was all the same. It was similar. And whilst there were slightly different characteristics of the car. This is a [big] step, with the whole thing being completely different," he revealed.

"It's a really exciting experience. This is something I've really enjoyed trying to get and wrap my mind around, particularly also just in settings, and the terminology they use, the different ways that they can set up a car. That's taking some getting used to, for sure."

Hamilton has driven every single race of his career so far with Mercedes power, since joining Formula 1 with McLaren in 2007. His move to Ferrari marks a new chapter for the Brit who hasn't had an enjoyable tenure with Mercedes since 2022.

"I've been waiting such a long time for it, so firing the car up, it's like such a new, uncharted journey, and it's the most exciting thing that's happened to me for as long as I can remember. It's nothing like the car that I had before over the last 10, 12, 17, years," Hamilton said in his first Ferrari interview.

This article was written in collaboration with Nicole Mulder

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