No one needs to doubt him: Hamilton 2.0 is ready for his first world title
General
- Ludo van Denderen
Lewis Hamilton excused himself. Barely had he had any sleep, just two hours. Had the Briton not said so, no one would have noticed anything, though. Indeed, there seemed to be no sign of fatigue; so cheerful, smiling broadly and looking fit, Ferrari's new driver was sat in a small room at the Fiorano circuit, where spoke to the international press for the first time at the service of the Italian team.
Anyone who has attended a Lewis Hamilton press session at Mercedes in recent years must have seen a different Lewis in Italy. Not that the seven-time world champion has been feeding the media with tepid quotes or meaningless statements in recent seasons. Certainly not, a media interview with Lewis Hamilton is always interesting.
But here at Fiorano, with Hamilton doned in his new employer's red shirt, it was different. It was the tone, the positivism that resounded in every sentence and, above all, the sight of Hamilton. Here sat a man who was clearly enjoying Formula 1 again, the sport that brought him success and enormous wealth. Lewis Hamilton was again that young eager rookie, who still has everything to win in his career.
Hamilton speaks of first world title as goal in '25
For almost half an hour, he received a barrage of questions from the 70 journalists, with Hamilton never giving the impression of being tired of the conversation. Enthusiastically, he kept talking, always with a huge smile on his face. One answer, in hindsight, symbolised how Hamilton currently feels about life, how he views his new adventure at Ferrari.
Of course, on paper, the Brit could become world champion for the eighth time. But: "For me it's the first. Winning the championship at Ferrari is the first. That's what I'm working towards. I don't think about the number eight. I'm thinking about the first championship that the team's won for some time.
"They've already had many, many world championships, obviously over their history. So for me it's like looking for that first one with the team and how can I contribute to that. How can I help them achieve that" he said, before the topic changed.
Hamilton has got his passion back
In those few sentences at least, the message was clear: Lewis Hamilton is ready for an immense task, one that may not necessarily be a successful one. After all, there are plenty of big names who failed to become champions in recent seasons with Ferrari. In any case, Lewis Hamilton's motivation and commitment will not be lacking. If anything became clear during the media day with the Briton, it is that he is better than ever in his skin - full of passion like in his earlier years.
Lewis Hamilton is in a good mood, motivated, and now the competitors know: they may have their hands full.