Hamilton’s move to Ferrari marks a thrilling chapter, with Vasseur revealing how seamless the decision was for the F1 legend.
Ferrari has not set a specific date for Lewis Hamilton’s first test drive in a Formula 1 car this January.
The head of the Italian team, Fred Vasseur, revealed that Ferrari’s 2025 car will be unveiled in Maranello on February 19 (read here), the day after all teams present their 2025 liveries at the O2 Arena in London.
“In January,” he replied, indicating it would be in an “older car,” specifically the 2022 model rather than the 2023 one.
“This will certainly depend on the weather – January is not an easy month. The available window isn’t very wide because we need to be ready for the car launch on February 19.”
Vasseur stated that Hamilton’s testing debut will be conducted discreetly.
“As I said, we don’t want to focus on the show. The car launch will be enough, and we must then concentrate on the season.”
“Lewis will have only six weeks at his disposal, from early January to the car presentation, but he’s a driver with a lot of experience, so I’m not concerned. Today, drivers have the huge advantage of simulators.”
“He’ll be able to do race and qualifying simulations in the simulator and be fully prepared with the steering wheel and all the car’s specifics. But I’m not worried about that; it’s not the biggest challenge.”
“He comes with his own experience. He’s not the rookie of the year, so I’m not concerned at all about that, especially given the continuity of the previous regulations, which provides us with a solid reference.”
“The challenge is, if you imagine we go to Bahrain and face a sandstorm like a few years ago, then it’s tough, but that’s difficult for everyone on the grid. We know we only have three days of testing there. That’s just how it is.”
Vasseur spoke for the first time about the discussions he had with Hamilton last winter, which led to him joining Ferrari.
“In 2023, we won more races than Mercedes, so it wasn’t difficult to convince him that Ferrari was a good project. He had the idea of driving for Ferrari in mind for at least 22 or 23 years, as we discussed it back in 2004. It wasn’t too hard.”
“Sometimes it’s also a matter of coincidence or the alignment of all the planets—him being on the market, Ferrari having a seat available, and so on. The contact was easy. We started talking a year ago, and it wasn’t difficult to convince him.”
Much has been said about Hamilton’s disappointing final season with Mercedes in 2024, during which he often seemed demoralized, unmotivated, and lacking confidence.
“I feel like Lewis wasn’t always very happy this year,” said Vasseur. “He was probably already a bit focused on the future.”
“But I’m really convinced he’ll be in great form, as he showed in the last races. In Abu Dhabi and Las Vegas, he was able to deliver strong performances. So I’m not worried.”
“The cars and rules haven’t changed, and a multiple world champion is joining us. It’s shaping up to be a good season, though we’re all a bit tired.”
Vasseur also expressed his belief that Hamilton’s arrival will give a boost to Charles Leclerc.
“I’m happy with what Charles has done this year; he’s made significant progress, but he can improve further. He’s fast and knows it. It’s in race management where he can still do more. But he’s on the right path.”
“I’m sure he has great respect for Lewis and will be able to absorb all the positives from the situation like a sponge.”
As for the pairing of the two drivers, the Frenchman isn’t concerned.
“Charles and Lewis? I’m not particularly worried about that. They have immense mutual respect, they know each other, and they’ve been discussing it for months now.”
“It’s far better to fight for first and third place or second and third place than to battle for 19th and 20th. It’s a good thing for a team to have this kind of discussion and approach, and I’m truly convinced that a team’s performance comes from the healthy competition between its two drivers.”
When asked if Vasseur had any advice for Hamilton before he officially becomes a Ferrari driver, the 56-year-old smiled: “He doesn’t need my advice.”
“I might simply tell him not to eat too much pasta.”
“I’m not sure we should copy-paste what he did with Mercedes. That environment worked very well at the start but less so towards the end.”
“We need to find the best way to manage Lewis. I know him well enough, but I definitely don’t want to replicate what he’s done in the past.”
Ferrari lost the Constructors’ Championship to McLaren by 14 points during the final race of 2024, and Vasseur said he expects next season to be another tight battle among the top four teams, including Red Bull and Mercedes.
“What we need to do to win next year comes down to the details. We’ve made good improvements in every area, but we’re still missing 14 points in the championship. That’s a lot and yet almost nothing—it’s a DNF, a race incident, a strategic decision.”
“We’re talking about details in every area. Every mistake, every decision will be crucial. I’m sure next year’s championship will also be tight, and we can’t afford to let a single point slip away.”
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Hamilton’s Ferrari Era Begins: A Simple Decision Hamilton’s Ferrari Era Begins: A Simple Decision Hamilton’s Ferrari Era Begins: A Simple Decision
