After completing 12 years with Mercedes and winning six of his seven world championships there, Lewis Hamilton will head to Ferrari. By the time he dons the red overalls for the first time, the Briton will turn 40. That might not be the ideal situation for him as he goes through a massive cultural shift, as per Damon Hill, who feels the change of environment could prove to be the biggest challenge for Hamilton.
Speaking with talkSPORT, the 1996 F1 world champion said, “Learning the whole new environment is a big one. I don’t know how his Italian is but I don’t think he necessarily has to speak Italian. English is usually the first language in these teams when it comes to race tactics, and so forth, talking to drivers.”
“But I think he’ll love it. It’s going to be great for the sport. I think it’ll be stimulating for him.”, Hill said.
Despite not bagging a championship since 2008 (coincidentally the year Hamilton bagged his first), Ferrari remains a team with arguably the most passionate fans in F1. A majority of those fans, famously called Tifosi, come from Italy. The heritage of the Maranello-based outfit gives it the status of almost a national team.
Red Bull: Alonso – Sainz
Mercedes: Verstappen – Russell
Ferrari: Hamilton – LeclercI’d pay to see that pic.twitter.com/2dJR3spdj5
— Mahir (@ScrewderiaF1) March 4, 2024
While that will further boost Hamilton‘s ever-growing fanbase, it could also prove to be a challenge to deal with. The Tifosi hold the reputation of backing its team and the drivers with utmost dedication. However, their scathing criticism after a disappointing race weekend is equally passionate. That is one of the cultural shifts that Hamilton will have to get used to.
But these are the sort of challenges he looks forward to. Having been in the sport since 2007, the Briton knows what awaits him. Moreover, his childhood love for Ferrari will help him overcome such challenges.
Hamilton’s biggest ally at Ferrari
Had it not been for Frederic Vasseur, Hamilton perhaps would have never thought about moving away from Mercedes. The Ferrari team principal is a long-time friend of Hamilton, having been his team boss in F3 and F2. The duo continued to share a cordial relationship despite being on different teams in F1, often spending time together after a race.
Charles Leclerc, who’ll be his biggest competitor by being his teammate, is keen on welcoming Hamilton as well. Not only on the race track, Leclerc is excited to share the space with the seven-time champion over music and fashion, which happen to be their common areas of interest.
Needless to say, Hamilton and Leclerc will get along well. That, of course, comes with the precursor of how Ferrari performs on the track. If the car is good enough to compete for wins and championships, the Ferrari duo might fiercely compete against each other too.
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