F1 | Lewis Hamilton: “Driving a Ferrari is love, the Italian passion is everywhere”. Lewis Hamilton opens up about his first season with Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton opens up in an interview with Ferrari Magazine: his emotions in F1 at 40, the passion of Italians, and his love for Ferrari

The uniqueness of Ferrari is described by Lewis Hamilton: the thrill of driving a Red car in F1 and the full passion of the Italians. The seven-time world champion is madly in love with the Prancing Horse, a “connection” he felt from his very first moments in Maranello. The team is unique, and no language or cultural barrier can withstand the heat and passion Made in Italy.

“The other teams are a little less… colorful. Each has its own qualities, but Italians show their emotions more clearly, for better or worse, but mostly for the better,” Lewis Hamilton told Ferrari Magazine, recounting his experience in Maranello. The British driver is in his first season with the Cavallino Rampante, and despite the ups and downs on track, he seems more in love than ever.

“At Ferrari, you see passion every day, even just in the way people talk about food, for example. In England, you don’t get excited talking about fish and chips, you know?” Somehow, the seven-time world champion confirms the words of Enrico Cardile: the former Ferrari technical director, now at Aston Martin, had described a very passionate approach to work in Italy, for better or worse.

Hamilton: “At Ferrari, everything is special, when you get in the car it’s love”
The first test at Fiorano, the first lap in the SF-25, the first victory in Shanghai in the Sprint Race: an adventure born from a special connection with the team. “Now I’m 40, I was 21 the first time I sat in an F1 car. Being in a red car was much more emotional. At 21 it wasn’t something ‘emotional,’ it was just ‘exciting.’ But when you get into a Ferrari, it’s love. You create a different kind of connection.”

Italian identity is a strength of the team: “Everything here is so special. Red is one of my favorite colors. Ferrari represents history, the emblem, and what it symbolizes. The cars are masterpieces. It’s the language, the culture, the food. It’s the way Italians express passion for everything. Over the years, different cultures and people from around the world have joined, but at its heart, Ferrari remains Italian.”

“I never thought I’d have a role here. Honestly, I was a little worried about cultural differences, but then you arrive and realize everyone is very open. At the end of the day, it’s a human-to-human relationship. When you build bridges, everything else falls into the background.”