Lewis Hamilton makes new admission over upcoming Ferrari move

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton has admitted he’s feeling somewhat daunted by the prospect of switching to Ferrari, although is welcoming the challenge that awaits him.

After more than a decade with Mercedes during a partnership that became F1’s most successful driver/team duo in history, Hamilton leaves the Brackley-based squad to move to Ferrari for the F1 2025 season.

Lewis Hamilton expecting Ferrari to be ‘massively different’

Hamilton, who has switched to Ferrari on a new three-year deal, is set to receive a pay bump upon his switch, as well as securing the future of his Mission 44 initiative and an ambassadorship role with the Ferrari brand.

But the seven-time F1 World Champion has been reluctant to talk too much about what lies ahead of him, out of respect for his current employer Mercedes as Hamilton gives him final season with the team his all – the British Grand Prix delivering upon the potential that had emerged in recent races through car upgrades as Hamilton romped to victory for his first win in almost three years.

Speaking to Sky F1 ahead of that weekend, Hamilton opened up on his 2025 switch and admitted he’s feeling a little nervous about the change of environment having spent most of the last two decades with Mercedes power through his current team and his stint at McLaren between his debut in 2007 through to 2012.

“It’s gonna be new. It’s also daunting because it’s new territory, it’s a new experience, and will be a challenge. But, you know, I love challenge,” Hamilton told Martin Brundle.

“I expect it to be massively different. I mean, the two teams I’ve been with have been British teams. So I’m going into a completely different culture in Italy.

“If you think about us Brits, we’re very quiet and more calm when you have success, when you have difficult days, everyone’s kind of more chilled out whereas Italians are much more emotional.

“It’s a much different culture. I don’t truly know what to expect but I have raced in Italy, so I expect it to be a huge amount different but special and unique in some ways.”

Facing the prospect of racing against the cars with whom he’s become so closely linked with over the past 12 years, Hamilton said it’s going to be strange when he finds himself going wheel-to-wheel with a Mercedes.

“Naturally, I think everything’s gonna feel alien because I’ve been with Mercedes for so long. So it’ll be really strange!” he said.

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Lewis Hamilton: No fear of becoming an ‘outsider’ at Mercedes

With the seven-time F1 World Champion heading into his final months as a Mercedes F1 driver, Hamilton said he doesn’t think the atmosphere will change as the team looks to move on without his involvement.

Asked whether he feels he’ll become an “outsider” as the team focuses on performance development for the 2025 car, knowledge the team would prefer he doesn’t have when he switches sides, Hamilton said he hasn’t yet been forced to back away.

“I don’t think so,” he said.

“I mean, so far, I have been really hands-on and very much involved in the development of this car. I think that’s the only way we can work this year.

“I’ve not kept anything from them and they haven’t kept anything from me. I want the team to succeed, even when I’m not here.

“I think with the success we’ve had just recently, I mean, I’m a part of that and I feel really grateful and proud to be a part of that.”

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