By Alan Baldwin
(Reuters) – Lewis Hamilton drove his new Ferrari Formula One car for the first time on Wednesday and said the team had everything they needed to win the championship and were ready to do so.
The 40-year-old Briton told reporters in a video call from Maranello that he was more hopeful than ever of claiming his eighth title.
Hamilton acknowledged he was still acclimatising to his new surroundings, the driver staying in his motorhome by the test track to speed up integration, but replied simply “yes” to a question about Ferrari’s readiness.
“I’ve worked with two world championship winning teams before. I know what a winning team looks and feels like,” added the driver who won his first title with McLaren in 2008 and the rest with Mercedes.
“The passion here is like nothing you’ve ever seen. They’ve got absolutely every ingredient they need to win a world championship.
“It’s just about putting all the pieces together. We’ve got a great leader in (team boss) Fred (Vasseur) and in (chairman) John (Elkann) and in (chief executive) Benedetto (Vigna).
“Everyone just has a really calm and good approach.”
Ferrari last won a title in 2008, the constructors’ championship. Their last driver to win an individual crown was Kimi Raikkonen in 2007, the year Hamilton made a sensational debut.
The Italians finished runners-up last year to McLaren, who remain favourites for a repeat. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is chasing his fifth title in a row, a feat previously achieved only by Michael Schumacher at Ferrari.
Hamilton’s new teammate Charles Leclerc was overall runner-up in 2022.
Asked whether he was more hopeful about winning an eighth title, the most successful F1 driver of all time again replied “Yes”.
“It’s going to be close at the top, but I’ve got a great team-mate,” said Hamilton. “The energy that I’m receiving from the team, there’s magic here.
“It’s going to still take a lot of hard work and grafting from absolutely everyone, and everyone’s putting that in already to achieve it, but it’s also about belief. Everyone here dreams of winning with Ferrari, every single person in this team.”
Hamilton said that if he were to win the elusive championship, one that he felt robbed of in 2021, he would not then be retiring.
“If I was fortunate enough to win another title, which is obviously what we’re setting out to do, I don’t see myself stopping,” he said.
Leclerc told reporters in a separate call that Hamilton’s timing was good, while Vasseur said the Briton has brought fresh energy.
“I think Lewis is coming into the team at the right time,” said Leclerc.
“The fact that Lewis has joined the team has been a big boost and has been amazing in so many ways.
“I feel like the team is very, very calm and very clear in what is the direction to work in and not getting too affected by everything that is going around the team, and that is extremely important.”
The season starts in Australia on March 16.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed Osmond)
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