Lewis Hamilton kicked off pre-season testing in his Ferrari as serious preparations for the new F1 season got underway in Bahrain. Hamilton has three days of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit to get to grips with his new set-up before the season officially starts in Australia on March 16.
The 40-year-old spoke last week about the huge challenge of adapting to his new car after 12 years with Mercedes and all eyes were on Hamilton, who is bidding to become the first Ferrari driver to win the world title since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007. After Hamilton drove out of the garage in Bahrain, F1's official social media site posted the message: "Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari driver" followed by a heart emoji.
Hamilton has said he has already found his new Ferrari operates in a “completely different” way to anything he has ever driven. “It's a really exciting experience,” he said. “This is something I've really enjoyed trying to wrap my mind around, particularly also just in settings and the terminology they use and the different ways that they can set up a car. That's taken some getting used to, for sure.”.
Hamilton added: “I don't feel that currently I'm having to change my driving style too much. I'm actually feeling quite comfortable in the car and just taking one step at a time. “I hope we'll see as we get further down the line at the real race circuits that we're going to just how much aligns and how much change I might have to do. The key is to be open-minded and to be dynamic. I think, luckily, with my experience, I should be able to do that.”.
Hamilton has said he already understand bits of what is said when Ferrari colleagues talk in Italian and says he “wants people to know that I'm willing to go above and beyond to be able to blend in and to contribute to my fullest potential”. “I'm enjoying it and it's challenging to practice,” he said. “It's definitely hard to always retain and remember the words.
“It's not easy to learn another language. But I'm slowly getting there. I think consistency is key, and that's why I really love being here at the factory, because I'm getting to practice more and more each day.”. Hamilton's trainer Angela Cullen has returned to work with the seven-time world champion. The pair worked together from 2016 to early 2023.
