All about Lewis
In the latest issue of Ferrari Magazine, a long feature titled “Lewis in red” was dedicated to Lewis Hamilton, including an in-depth interview with the seven-time Formula 1 world champion. The conversation began with his first emotions behind the wheel of the SF-25: “Right now, I’m at a different stage of my life: I’m 40, whereas the first time I sat behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car, I was 21. If you think about where I come from, and the fact that I went from watching Formula 1 on TV dreaming of racing at the top level, to sitting in an F1 car surrounded by the whole team, the mechanics, the machinery and everything else — getting into the cockpit of a Ferrari 20 years later was much more emotional. At 21, it was all more of a rush than an emotion, because everything inside me was boiling with excitement. But when you get into a Ferrari, it’s love at first sight. It creates a completely different kind of bond.”
The connection with the world of the Prancing Horse was special from the start: “Red is one of my favourite colours. Ferrari represents history and everything the brand stands for. The cars are masterpieces. And then there’s the Italian language, the culture, the food, the way people express their enthusiasm for everything. Even though over the years new cultures and people from different backgrounds have joined, Ferrari’s heart remains Italian. I never thought I would one day be part of all this. To be honest, at first I was worried about the cultural differences, but as soon as I arrived, I was welcomed with great open-mindedness. In the end, we are all human beings. Once you make a connection, everything else fades into the background.”
The red car and Lewis
“Other teams are a bit less… colourful,” explained Hamilton, comparing Ferrari with his previous experiences. He continued: “Every team has its qualities, but Italians express their emotions much more openly — for better or worse — though mostly in a positive way, I’d say. You can see how passion drives them in everyday things, like the way they talk about food. In England, it’s hard to have an animated discussion about fish and chips — you know what I mean.”
Lewis Hamilton did not hide the pressure that comes with being a Ferrari driver: “I knew that the combination of our names would have a huge impact. But when it actually happened, I was still surprised and thought: ‘This is beyond my imagination.’ It’s a beautiful moment and there have been many positive aspects, but it’s also a commitment that carries a lot of responsibility, and the weight of expectations is heavy. Everyone expects you to win right away, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. How long did it take? We should check.”
He also spoke about adapting to life at Ferrari: “Only when you’re part of a team can you really understand how it works, and the same goes for Formula 1. Otherwise, you can’t truly know how the car functions. I’ve been in F1 my whole life, but when I joined this team, I found myself in yet another new environment. That’s why I don’t blame people who don’t know what it means. The only thing I can do is keep focusing on what I can control — how I prepare, how I work with the team, how I show up every day and maintain a positive attitude.”
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