Hamilton 'could not be more excited' as Ferrari career starts

Lewis Hamilton says helium "could not beryllium much excited" arsenic helium embarks connected his caller vocation astatine Ferrari successful 2025.

The seven-time champion, whose declaration with the Italian squad started connected 1 January, said helium was "embracing caller opportunities, staying hungry, and driving guardant with purpose".

Hamilton chose a station connected LinkedIn to marque his archetypal comments since joining Ferrari, adding: "Let's marque it 1 to remember."

He wrote: "Moving to Scuderia Ferrari, there's a batch to bespeak on.

"To anyone considering their adjacent determination successful 2025: clasp the change.

"Whether you're switching industries, learning a caller skill, oregon adjacent conscionable taking connected caller challenges, retrieve that reinvention is powerful. Your adjacent accidental is ever wrong reach."

Hamilton has besides posted connected societal media a representation of him racing successful karting arsenic a lad wearing a helmet successful red, Ferrari's colour.

He joins Ferrari connected the eve of his 40th day connected 7 January arsenic team-mate to Charles Leclerc successful what galore successful the athletics respect arsenic the strongest operator line-up connected the grid.

Ferrari finished 2024 connected a high, narrowly missing retired connected beating McLaren to the constructors' championship.

Leclerc scored much points than immoderate operator - and Ferrari much than immoderate rival squad - from the Dutch Grand Prix, the contention aft the sport's summertime break, to the extremity of the season.

Hamilton has a abbreviated but aggravated play to accommodate to his caller squad earlier the commencement of the play successful Melbourne, Australia connected 14-16 March.

Ferrari person fixed fewer details of their plans for Hamilton, but helium volition sojourn the factory, thrust the simulator, and bash immoderate days successful a 2023 car, activities aimed astatine getting utilized to the caller squad and the mode the car is operated.

The 2025 Ferrari volition beryllium launched connected 19 February, 1 time aft F1's archetypal authoritative play motorboat astatine the O2 successful London.

The authoritative pre-season trial days volition beryllium connected 26-28 February successful Bahrain, with Hamilton and Leclerc dividing their clip successful the caller car equally.

Team main Frederic Vasseur said astatine Ferrari's authoritative Christmas luncheon past month that Hamilton's archetypal six weeks with the squad were "critical".

"It is not casual but helium is coming with his ain experience," Vasseur said. "But helium is not the rookie of the year, I americium not disquieted astatine each astir this. It is besides the continuity of the erstwhile regulations truthful we person immoderate reference. I americium not disquieted but it is existent it is simply a challenge."

Vasseur expects 2025 to beryllium a adjacent conflict for the title betwixt Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes.