Lewis Hamilton drove his new Ferrari Formula 1 car for the first time on Wednesday, expressing confidence that the team has everything it needs to win the championship this season.
The 40-year-old British driver, speaking from Maranello in a video call, said he was more hopeful than ever of securing his eighth title. Although still adjusting to his new surroundings, Hamilton is staying in his motorhome at the test track to settle in faster. When asked about Ferrari’s readiness, he simply replied “yes.”
“I’ve worked with two world championship-winning teams before. I know what a winning team looks and feels like,” said Hamilton, who won his first title with McLaren in 2008 and the rest with Mercedes. “The passion here is like nothing you’ve ever seen. They’ve got absolutely every ingredient they need to win a world championship.”
He added that the team just needs to “put all the pieces together,” praising team principal Fred Vasseur, chairman John Elkann, and CEO Benedetto Vigna for their leadership. “Everyone just has a really calm and good approach,” he said.
Ferrari last won a title in 2008, with their last individual driver title coming in 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen—the year Hamilton made his debut. Ferrari finished runners-up last season to McLaren, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen looking to secure his fifth consecutive title, a feat only achieved by Michael Schumacher at Ferrari.
Hamilton’s new teammate, Charles Leclerc, was the overall runner-up in 2022. When asked if he was more hopeful of winning his eighth title, Hamilton again replied “Yes.”
“It’s going to be close at the top, but I’ve got a great teammate,” he said. “The energy that I’m receiving from the team, there’s magic here.”
Hamilton stressed that winning will require hard work from everyone, but added that belief is key. “Everyone here dreams of winning with Ferrari, every single person in this team,” he said.
He also made it clear that if he were to win another title, he wouldn’t retire. “If I was fortunate enough to win another title, which is obviously what we’re setting out to do, I don’t see myself stopping,” he said.
Leclerc, speaking in a separate call, said Hamilton’s timing was perfect, while Vasseur praised Hamilton for bringing fresh energy to the team. “The fact that Lewis has joined the team has been a big boost and has been amazing in so many ways,” said Leclerc. “The team is very, very calm and clear in the direction we need to take, and not getting too affected by everything around the team, which is extremely important.”
The season kicks off in Australia on March 16.
