Lewis Hamilton Faces Struggle as Ferrari Testing Begins: 'Need to Start from Scratch'

Alex Harrington | Feb 15, 2025

Scuderia Ferrari - Lewis Hamilton / Scuderia Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton is opening a new chapter in his Formula 1 career with Ferrari, and is currently focusing heavily on testing and simulator work ahead of the 2025 season.

Historically, the 7-time champion hasn’t been one for rigorous testing, with many seeing him as someone who preferred to jump straight into race action. Yet, this move to the Scuderia sees Hamilton embracing testing as never before, as well as learning Italian on the side.

For many years, he was an integral part of the Mercedes team, where he didn’t prioritize spending long periods in the simulator. Now, due to the fresh start at Ferrari, he is actively involved in simulator work to help develop the car and mould it to his driving style. The move to Ferrari has been described 'starting from scratch' after a long career in Mercedes-powered machinery.

More News: Lewis Hamilton's First Italian Ferrari Speech Revealed Ahead Of 2025 Season   

Expert Lewis Larkam shared the following on the Crash F1 Podcast about Hamilton:

“Across the board, not just on the simulator, he fully wants this from the glimmers that we’ve seen.” Larkam pointed out the efforts Hamilton is making beyond just getting familiar with the car. He said, “Even the smaller things like the efforts he’s made to start learning Italian, to help forge connections." It appears Hamilton wants this new venture with Ferrari to work.

“It underlines how committed he is, how much he wants it to work,” Larkam continued.  

Hamilton's role at Ferrari contrasts with his time at Mercedes. At the Brackley squad, Hamilton was comfortable enough not to need extra simulator time after so long with the team.

Larkam added, “At Mercedes he was super comfortable and perhaps didn’t need the extra time."

With Ferrari, however, it's a different story.

"Now, he perhaps need to start from scratch,” said Larkam.

The need to adapt to a new team and a new car has led to a large amount of testing. The Ferrari fans, known fondly as the Tifosi, have already shown great enthusiasm for Hamilton, as evidenced by the large turnout during his test runs.

“Around 1,500 fans lined the perimeter of his first test which is more than Sebastian Vettel or Fernando Alonso had,” Larkam added. “He has already forged that connection and he seems to be embedding himself, in that sense. With the Tifosi and, more importantly, with the team itself.”  

More News: Former F1 CEO Offers Unfiltered Opinion On Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari Move  

Larkam continued: “Hamilton has always said he hates testing - he always tried to get out of postseason testing. But there’s never been a question about how he drives a team forwards."

For Hamilton, it seems, embrace of the Ferrari culture and fans is refreshing. Larkam believes that he’ll be invigorated this season to advance Ferrari’s competitive strength.

"I believe he’ll be fully rejuvenated to make those gains.”

Hamilton is faced with adapting his driving style to match Ferrari’s vehicle technology. For example, he’s adjusting to the Brembo braking systems, which differ from the Carbone brakes he used at Mercedes. Critical components like clutch management are also under close examination, and the hybrid powertrain will likely react differently to that of the recent W series of cars. All these elements force a new learning curve that he did not typically have to navigate during his years at Mercedes.  

More News: Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Crash Explained by F1 Insider: 'It'll Take a Few Races'   

Hamilton’s move to Ferrari might seem challenging, but it’s clear he aims to invest fully.

“There were times last season when Hamilton dipped out," Larkam added. "There was an element of him just checking out." Larkam interpreted the change as tied to his then-imminent departure from Mercedes:

“He knew Mercedes wouldn’t win races and certainly not the championship, and he knew that he was leaving."  

Joining the Tifosi will ultimately be a defining period of Lewis' career. His ability to absorb, adapt, and connect this season with the Ferrari machinery will be highly important, and scrutiny will come aplenty.

For the latest F1 news, head over to F1 on SI.