Ferrari Insider comments on Lewis Hamilton adapting to life at Maranello - “The team already loved him after the first day”

Scuderia Ferrari's deputy team principal, Jerome D'Ambrosio, has shared his thoughts on Lewis Hamilton’s adaptation to life at Maranello. The British driver made the high-profile switch to the Italian manufacturer after an eventful 12-year stint with Mercedes-AMG.

Hamilton’s move to F1’s most iconic team naturally sparked discussions about how well he would adapt, especially considering his age and other factors.

However, despite ongoing debates, D'Ambrosio has revealed that the 'Prancing Horse' team already loved Hamilton—just after his first day with them.

In an interview with The Race, the 39-year-old spoke about Lewis Hamilton’s adaptation:

“Lewis doesn’t need any help to be introduced into a team or get to know people. He is quite amazing with people, and the team already loved him after the first day,” he said.

“The areas where it’s been perhaps quite useful is already knowing his [support] team. A driver doesn’t come alone to a team, they have their own team, their own management, and people around them. I have already interacted with them in a past life," he stated.

D'Ambrosio, who also serves as Ferrari’s driver academy director, added:

“I guess in that respect it was quite easy to know where the expectations were and what’s the background and what can already be plug-in-and-play and what had to be approached slightly differently based on a different environment.”

Lewis Hamilton himself has continued to express positive feelings about his move to Scuderia Ferrari in the lead-up to the 2025 season opener. The 40-year-old will now shift focus to winning his eighth Drivers’ Championship as the season kicks off in Melbourne.

Lewis Hamilton makes bold claim about Ferrari’s lineup

The Scuderia Ferrari HP drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc during a street demo in the City Circuit in Milan - Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton has made a bold claim about Scuderia Ferrari’s driver pairing ahead of the 2025 F1 season. The British driver, who will be teaming up with Charles Leclerc, stated that he believes they are probably the strongest pairing in the sport’s history.

Speaking in a video shared by the Italian outfit on X (formerly Twitter), the seven-time world champion reflected on his overall feelings about representing Ferrari.

"I have always imagined what it would be like sitting in the cockpit, surrounded by red. (0:16 onwards)

…I have always seen the drivers that came before me in red and wondered, you know, how that would feel for me.” (0.32 onwards)

Further discussing his thoughts on his teammate and their partnership, the former McLaren driver said:

“We’re the strongest pairing F1 has probably ever had." (1:20 onwards)

The British driver’s statement has sparked a wave of reactions among fans and stakeholders in the sport. However, Lewis Hamilton’s words are not without merit. Despite F1’s 75-year history featuring several iconic driver pairings, the Hamilton-Leclerc duo at Ferrari stands as the most decorated teammate pairing in terms of total race victories—113.