Lewis Hamilton details the stark contrast in driving style and philosophy between his former Mercedes and the radically different Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton has shared more details about the extent of the adjustment he has had to make in his move from Mercedes F1 to Ferrari.
After 12 seasons with the Brackley-based team, Hamilton joined the Scuderia for 2025 and the seasons ahead. In the early races, he revealed that one of his biggest challenges was adapting to a Ferrari engine, having only ever driven Mercedes engines—even during his time at McLaren from 2007 to 2012.
Hamilton had previously voiced his struggles adapting to the SF-25, stating that managing engine braking and energy recovery was also an issue for him, as it was significantly different from what he was used to at Mercedes.
The seven-time world champion, whose best Grand Prix result this season is a fourth place at Imola, revealed another key factor that is working against him.
“It’s harder to explain than the engine or the engine braking—it’s just the cornering characteristics, the balance in the turns, the ride height. Everything follows a different philosophy compared to what I’ve known at Mercedes.”
“It may sound crazy to people, but we’re lapping within the same tenths with F1 cars that are fundamentally very different. And I have to say, a lot has changed for me.”
“To start with, the car is so much softer! When I was at Mercedes, it was very stiff. We ran quite firm and low to generate downforce, and everything is different with the Ferrari.”
“The suspension, camber values—everything is different. Add in the engine behaviour, the engine braking—everything is different.”
“And since all these components are integrated, all these parameters interact with one another. It takes a bit of time to get used to, but I’m enjoying the process of adapting.”