Lewis Hamilton sheds fresh light on decision to move to Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton says his decision to sign for Ferrari was a “total leap of faith” driven by “gut feeling”.

The seven-time world champion shocked the F1 world last February when he announced he would be leaving Mercedes in order to complete a blockbuster switch to rivals Ferrari.

Having won just twice since his controversial 2021 title defeat to Max Verstappen, Hamilton signed a multi-year deal with Ferrari and is gearing up for his debut season alongside Charles Leclerc at the Scuderia.

In an interview with LinkedIn’s ‘Get Hired’ newsletter, the 40-year-old Briton offered fresh insight into the reasons behind his move.

“Ultimately, every new opportunity is a total leap of faith,” Hamilton explained.

“None of us can predict the future so changing jobs, or in my case teams, is always going to come with some level of risk.

“But I believe there’s more of a risk in staying somewhere you’re comfortable and in getting complacent.

“Call it instinct or a gut feeling, but I knew that signing with Ferrari was the right move for me and that it would give me the challenge I needed.

“There are so many incredible people in the team that I can’t wait to work with, and I have total faith that we’ll achieve great things together.”

Hamilton explained that the constant push for improvement is what continues to motivate him after 18 years in F1.

“I look at every Formula 1 season like a new chapter,” he added. “Even in the years when I’ve won races, trophies and championships, I’ve known that nothing is guaranteed for the season ahead.

“My approach is to work hard every single day to make sure when I get back in that car I’m not just as good as I was the season before, but better.

“That mindset and continually making progress no matter how big or small, is what has pushed me to achieve more than I ever thought possible.”

Hamilton’s father, Anthony, has revealed his son has “trained like mad” ahead of his first campaign with Ferrari.

Hamilton has been enjoying his first week of work at Ferrari and got behind the wheel of their 2023 F1 car as he made his on-track debut for the team at their Fiorano test track on Wednesday.