Lewis Hamilton Reveals Motivation Behind Historic 'Leap Of Faith' To Ferrari

Speaking about his career as a Formula 1 driver, an investor, and an entrepreneur, Lewis Hamilton revealed the motivation that pushed him to make the "leap of faith" to Ferrari after 12 seasons with Mercedes that saw six drivers' championships and eight constructors' titles.

January 20 marked Hamilton's first day at Ferrari as he arrived at its Maranello headquarters. His arrival ignited a frenzy both online and in the real world. In addition, fans brought Maranello to a standstill, gathering outside the team's base to meet and greet their new favorite driver. Two days later, the Briton was spotted testing one of Ferrari's old F1 cars in a Testing of Previous Cars session on the Fiorano test track.

The seven-time world champion has previously shared that joining Ferrari was a lifelong dream, and in pursuit of his record-breaking eighth championship title, he confirmed that the decision was driven by instinct.

Acknowledging the risks involved in making such a significant move, Hamilton explained that his gut feeling led him to take on the challenge he felt he needed at this stage of his career. When he was asked what it was about Ferrari that led him to make the switch, he told LinkedIn:

"Ultimately, every new opportunity is a total leap of faith. None of us can predict the future so changing jobs, or in my case teams, is always going to come with some level of risk. But I believe there's more of a risk in staying somewhere you're comfortable and in getting complacent.

"Call it instinct or a gut feeling, but I knew that signing with Ferrari was the right move for me and that it would give me the challenge I needed. There are so many incredible people in the team that I can't wait to work with, and I have total faith that we'll achieve great things together."

Pointing at the uncertainty in Formula 1, Hamilton revealed that a good season does not guarantee success in the season that follows, and opened up on his "approach to work" that made him successful. He said:

“I look at every Formula 1 season like a new chapter. Even in the years when I’ve won races, trophies and championships, I’ve known that nothing is guaranteed for the season ahead.

“My approach is to work hard every single day to make sure when I get back in that car I’m not just as good as I was the season before, but better. That mindset and continually making progress no matter how big or small, is what has pushed me to achieve more than I ever thought possible.”