Lewis Hamilton is convinced that this season could be Ferrari's year after he drove for the first time on Wednesday the Formula One team's car for the upcoming season, with a record eighth world title in his sights.
Hamilton delighted hopeful fans by putting the new SF-25 car through its paces at Ferrari's own track in Fiorano Modenese in northern Italy before stopping to salute spectators who are hoping he can end the Italian team's long world championship drought.
Ferrari haven't won the constructors title since 2008 and Kimi Raikkonen was the last man to claim the driver's title with them the year before, but asked whether he thought the 'Scuderia' were ready to win the world championship, Hamilton simply said "yes".
"I've worked with two world championship winning teams before, I know what a winning team looks and feels like," Hamilton told reporters.
"The passion here is like nothing you've ever seen. They've got absolutely every ingredient they need to win a world championship and it's just about putting all the pieces together.
"Everyone just has a really calm and good approach. No one's like we're perfect in every single area. Everyone's like we need to elevate everywhere and they're leaving no stone unturned to try and do that."
At 40 years old Hamilton isn't just F1's biggest star, he's also one the sport's elder statesmen, but he is full of youthful enthusiasm for a new challenge at Ferrari after falling way behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen in his final three seasons at Mercedes.
Since losing the 2021 drivers' title to Verstappen in controversial circumstances in the final GP, Hamilton has finished sixth, third and then seventh in 2024, some 214 points behind his Dutch rival who has won the last four championships.
- 'Wave of life' -
Hamilton said in a video released by Ferrari earlier on Wednesday that he thought "nothing was ever going to be new again" and he is clearly surprised at the new lease of life he is experiencing.
"When I was much younger I definitely didn't think in my 19th season or 19th year, whatever it is, that I would be this excited," said Hamilton.
"I never thought at this point in my career I would have so much excitement. Wanting to be at work early, wanting to put in even extra levels of work to achieve the dream... I've just felt this new wave of life and energy.
"For me it's the first. Winning a championship with 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."
Hamilton has a lot to prove despite his many achievements as last year he won just two Grands Prix, and his British GP victory in July ended a two-and-a-half year winless streak which stretched back to the now infamous 2021 season.
And he admits that he will have to acclimatise to his new surroundings before he can hope to replicate his golden years with Mercedes.
"We know we have a huge amount of work to do; I know that I have a huge amount of work to do," he said.
"But everyone's bent over backwards in this team to make me feel welcome and I really feel at home. I know I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, it feels natural, it feels right, so I think we've just got to continue to put in the time and take it one step at a time.
"I'm doing everything I can to be ready for race one."
Hamilton will have his first serious drive of his new car during next week's winter testing session in Bahrain before next month's season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
td/dj
