After spending 18 seasons at teams like McLaren and Mercedes, who are based out of the UK, Lewis Hamilton will have a completely new experience while settling in at Ferrari. The Italian team’s culture, work ethic, and environment, as a result, could be something the Briton could struggle to adapt to.
Hamilton is aware of the same and is putting his best foot forward to bridge that gap. However, in terms of his on-track performance, there isn’t much Ferrari will have to worry about.
That’s what former F1 boss Otmar Szafnauer feels. The Romanian-American may not have worked with Hamilton directly, but he knew the 40-year-old’s father Anthony Hamilton, who used to manage former Force India driver Paul di Resta.
Serving as the Silverstone-based squad’s team principal back then, Szafnauer got a glimpse of the mindset Hamilton’s father had, which gave him an idea about how the British driver could be going about his business.
“He is ultra-competitive. So, from that regard, you have to do nothing with Lewis. He will work hard. He is a competitor, he knows what to do,” Szafnauer told Ben Anderson on The Race‘s ‘Team Principal’ podcast.
Lewis Hamilton hits the track in the Ferrari he’ll use in his first season, the SF-25 #F1 @ScuderiaFerrari pic.twitter.com/2KB6g6tWAH
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 20, 2025
The former Aston Martin and Alpine honcho would’ve also kept his eyes open to observe Hamilton from a rival’s perspective. From the kind of relationships Hamilton built at Mercedes with his mechanics and engineers, it was clear that he did not need much from the team’s end.
If they did their jobs well, it was almost certain that Hamilton would emerge victorious.
Still, as he moves to Ferrari, the #44 driver will need his new team principal Frederic Vasseur’s help to bed in smoothly.
Where Hamilton will need help at Ferrari
Hamilton’s first few weeks at Ferrari suggest that he is getting along well with those around him. However, Szafnauer believes there is one aspect where he will need guidance. Someone will need to facilitate the transition and help him adapt to the new environment.
“What you have to do for him is manage the change. Because it will be different. So, those differences you have to introduce Lewis to very quickly and often, he is comfortable in this new environment as quickly as possible,” Szafnauer added.
At Ferrari, Vasseur seems like the perfect individual to play that role for Hamilton, since he knows the Stevenage-born driver the longest, having been his boss during his F3 days.
The Frenchman could help Hamilton understand Ferrari’s way of doing things, whether in race management, qualifying run plans, or car development philosophy. However, for the Scuderia’s benefit, they must keep the learning process open from both sides.
If Hamilton has insights to enhance Ferrari’s processes and work ethic, they should look to incorporate them, according to Szafnauer. After all, they have onboarded a seven-time world champion, and he could play a key role in helping them bridge the gap in their quest to end their 16-year title drought.
