Lewis Hamilton Admits Tough Start at Ferrari May Last Months
Lewis Hamilton has acknowledged that his transition to Ferrari could take months as he adapts to his new team and car. Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, the seven-time Formula One world champion emphasized that he is not concerned about criticism regarding his early performances.
Hamilton, who made a high-profile switch to Ferrari at the beginning of the year after an illustrious career with McLaren and Mercedes, has faced challenges in his initial races. Despite winning a sprint race in China in March, he has struggled to secure higher than fifth place in the following five races, while teammate Charles Leclerc managed to finish third in Saudi Arabia last month.
Reflecting on his struggles, Hamilton noted, “When I joined Mercedes, the first six months were tough getting attuned to working with new people. The engineers I’m working with now are used to setting up a car for a different driver and a different driving style, and I’m used to driving a car with a different driving style. So it’s a combination of a bunch of different things.”
When asked if he expected a similar adjustment period at Ferrari as he experienced with Mercedes, Hamilton replied, “I really don’t know. I genuinely don’t. We’re working as hard as we can to shorten that, but it could be longer. Who knows?”
Despite some pundits questioning his future in the sport, Hamilton remains unfazed. He stated, “I just don’t really think about it. I try not to really focus on opinions of people that have no insight into actually what is going on—insights from individuals that have never been in my position. So yeah, I just keep my head down and try to continue to enjoy the work that I do with the people I work with.”