THE MOVE TO FERRARI AND ITALY IS A NEW START FOR LEWIS HAMILTON. INGREDIENTS
LIKE VEGAN PIZZA, ITALIAN LESSONS AND CARAVAN ACCOMMODATION AS WELL.
THE 7-TIME WORLD CHAMPION IS FULL OF ENERGY.
TEXT: TOM CAREY PHOTO: FERRARI

IT WAS IN a ski slope during their annual winter trip to Colorado as Lewis Hamilton first felt the “wave of life and energy” he had referred to in recent weeks. Until then, the fatigue from what Hamilton described as the “longest season of his career” and the emotions from his last visit to the Mercedes factory in Brackley – Hamilton admits he cried in the car on the way home – had combined to create anxiety about his upcoming move to Ferrari. But on this particular day, Hamilton was in the zone. Skiing to the top of a lift that normally marks the end of one of his regular hikes, the seven-time world champion decided to keep going. He kept fighting for another hour and a half, with a heart rate of between 160 and 170 beats per minute. Hamilton claims that at 40, he is in the best shape of his life. And there is no reason to doubt him, he looks just that.

THE SWEET LIFE
The transformation, both physical and mental, in just a few short weeks has been remarkable. La dolce vita clearly seems to suit Hamilton. Since arriving for his first day of work wearing a double-breasted suit
Ferragamo striped coat over a twisted double-breasted vintage suit and slim black tie, paired with patent shoes from Christian Louboutin, his union with Ferrari has looked like an arranged marriage
made in heaven. Hamilton has lived on site at the factory in Maranello during his initial move-in period, in a caravan parked just outside the simulator. It makes sense, allowing the Brit to spend as much time as possible at the factory and get to know as many of the 1,500 employees as possible – he shook hands with everyone on his first day and fell ill. It also means he has been able to invite his engineers to lunch in his caravan, something he could never do in Brackley, where he usually lived nearby, as in Banbury.

In the longer term, Hamilton plans to settle in Milan instead of in Monaco, where he has a home. Hamilton loves the city, which is one of the fashion capitals of the world, and already has friends there. But most importantly, he wants to immerse himself in Italian culture. He's been taking Italian lessons for a while now, private ones instead of Duolingo, and eating as much Italian food as possible.

– Oh God. “I’ve eaten so many pizzas in the last few weeks,” he joked in an interview last month. “But incredibly, I’ve lost weight. It helps that his pizzas are cheeseless.” Hamilton is a vegan and has been a vocal advocate of a plant-based diet since 2017. The famous Cavallino restaurant in Maranello should be used to Hamilton’s dietary preferences by now. Since he started work at the end of January, he has made a point of going out to dinner every Wednesday night with Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur, deputy team principal Jerome d'Ambrosio and his teammate Charles Leclerc. He has told his friends that these dinner dates have been invaluable in building relationships.

THE TEAM & THE COMMUNITY
Team principal Frédéric Vasseur was a clear factor in Hamilton's move. It was with the Frenchman's Mercedes-powered ASM team that Hamilton won Formula 3 in 2005. But Belgian d'Ambrosio and chassis technical director Loïc Serra, who both moved from Brackley to Maranello shortly before Hamilton, also played a role. As for Leclerc, Hamilton has found a common ground with his new teammate by playing chess, both online and in real life. The pair were seen trading pawns at their table at the O2 launch. Hamilton was leading 3-2 in the game at the time. The overall impression Hamilton has given in recent weeks is that he is simply excited to get started. He may have started on January 22, but it has been over a year since he agreed to the move. He has had plenty of time to prepare for
this. From getting your Italian fluent – it currently extends to “asking people how their weekends were” – to getting your inner circle in place.

This includes bringing back his long-time physiotherapist Angela Cullen, who left Mercedes quite abruptly a few years ago, as part of the performance team at Project 44, overseen by friend and manager Marc Hynes. Angela Cullen was also denied an eighth world title in Abu Dhabi 2021, and she is up for the challenge of putting that right. New press officer Ella is another new Project 44 recruit. An Italian living in London, Ella has no Formula 1 background but will add a fresh youthful element to Hamilton's new entourage, which also includes his father Anthony and stepmother Linda, both of whom are in Australia this weekend.

– Looking back, to when I was 22 years old, I wasn't exactly mature, Hamilton noted in his FIA press conference on Thursday.

– I had done my homework on how to drive the car, but I had no foundation to stand on, or any team. My dad and stepmom booked the flights here. And they are both here this weekend. It has been a long journey for them. But in the beginning I had no help, I was out in deep water the whole time. I drowned many times. Now I am comfortable with myself. What a roller coaster it has been. I am incredibly grateful to still be here and have this opportunity. I can't wait to get started.

TIME FOR CHANGE
Paddock observers have all been impressed by Hamilton's confidence and energy, with Martin Brundle describing the move and the way he has built a team around him as "very smart" on Hamilton's part. - As the old saying goes, a change is as good as a rest, and the Ferrari move seems to be really working for Lewis, notes Brundle, adding: - I've never seen him smile so much. We've seen similar transformations in the past Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen, Michael Schumacher and Niki Lauda as they returned after time away from the sport. The difference is that Lewis never had a break from F1 since he started in 2007, but I think this Ferrari move is the equivalent for him. We see that just by observing him and reading his words. He seems really full of energy for this new opportunity.

I HAD DONE MY HOMEWORK ON HOW TO DRIVE, BUT I HAD NO REASON TO STAND ON, OR ANY TEAM. MY DAD AND STEPMOM BOOKED THE FLIGHT HERE. AND THEY'RE BOTH HERE THIS ONE
THE WEEKEND. IT'S BEEN A LONG JOURNEY FOR THEM

– Lewis has also been very smart. Of course he knows team principal Frédéric Vasseur very well from before, but he has had a pre-season group at Ferrari to integrate himself into the team as quickly as possible. Angela Cullen has returned, while Marc Hynes has been back in the fold for a year or two now.

PERFORMANCE IN FOCUS
The proof of the scheme remains to be seen. How far Hamilton's off-track satisfaction translates into on-track performance remains to be seen. He certainly looked competitive in terms of speed at last month's test in Bahrain, although there are still valid questions about his 1-turn speed in relation to Leclerc, if not just because of the way he was crushed in qualifying by George Russell last year. Hamilton, however, seems unmoved. While he would never say it publicly, there is no doubt that he and those close to him feel that his performance slump last season was more than a coincidence. If not in terms of actual sabotage – although it was alleged by an anonymous ‘Mercedes employee’ last season, who sent an email to the media claiming that Hamilton was nodded by Toto Wolff (an email that Mercedes quickly forwarded to Northamptonshire Police, describing as a scandalous smear) – so at least indirectly, subconsciously, the team immediately shifted its focus to Russell. Wolff had to satisfy his shareholders who were unhappy with Lewis leaving, so the team needed Russell to perform.
We will know more on Saturday when the first qualifying session of the season takes place. But Hamilton insists he doesn't feel the pressure.

– I'm back to square one, he concluded on Thursday. I've been in the factory four days a week. I've given everything in training to push my mind and body further than I've ever done to get more out of it.

– I have no illusions about how difficult it will be. But I don't feel pressure anymore. The external pressure is non-existent for me. The press comes from within. The pressure I put on myself is ten times higher than any pressure anyone else can put on me.

I HAVE GIVEN EVERYTHING IN TRAINING TO PUSH MY MIND AND BODY FURTHER THAN I EVER HAVE TO TO GET MORE OUT OF IT

A JOURNEY OF PLEASURE
That may be so. But right now, Hamilton simply exudes an aura of calm and positivity. He kicked off his race weekend in Australia by releasing a stunning video on Instagram, where he is cleverly edited into the role of a parking attendant in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The one who famously takes $5 from Matthew Broderick's Ferris Bueller to "take care" of the Ferrari belonging to Ferris' friend, Cameron Frye, and immediately sets off on a joyride. Hamilton said in his post that the clip required "highly advanced engineering, production and
planning to achieve”. He added that he needed “the exact car,” although it was unclear from his post whether the car used in the clip was a replica like the one originally used in the film or
an actual Ferrari 250 GT California. Regardless, it was yet another sign that Hamilton is enjoying himself; he's flexing his superstar status and creative muscles, just as he did with his latest extraordinary Time magazine cover, for which he served as creative director. He even got Hollywood actor Edward Norton to appear in the Ferris Bueller clip, with him as his own parking attendant.

– This is the energy and excitement I bring to the track this year, he concluded his post.

F1 CALENDAR 2025
March 14-16, Australia
March 21-23, China
April 11-13, Bahrain
April 18-20, Saudi Arabia
May 2-4, Miami
May 16-18, Emilia-Romagna
May 23-25, Monaco
30-1 May/June, Spain
June 13-15, Canada
June 27-29, Austria
July 4-6, United Kingdom
July 25-27, Belgium
August 1-3, Hungary
August 29-31, Netherlands
September 5-7, Italy
September 19-21, Azerbaijan
October 3-5, Singapore
October 17-19, USA
October 24-26, Mexico
November 7-9, Brazil
November 20-22, Las Vegas
November 28-30, Qatar
December 5-7, Abu Dhabi