Question mark over Lewis Hamilton’s sim work and testing commitment shot down
“Now, he perhaps need to start from scratch."
Lewis Hamilton will fully embrace testing and simulator commitments at Ferrari, it has been claimed.
Hamilton’s reputation as an F1 driver who doesn’t enjoy testing or work on the sim is unfair, the Crash F1 podcast was told.
While it’s true that he routinely does not appear at the postseason F1 test, he will enter his new adventure at Ferrari willing to muck in.
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“Across the board, not just on the simulator, he fully wants this from the glimmers that we’ve seen,” Lewis Larkam told the podcast.
“Even the smaller things like the efforts he’s made to start learning Italian, to help forge connections.
“It underlines how committed he is, how much he wants it to work.
“He’s been in the simulator, that process is underway. That will be crucial to how he goes at Ferrari, and how they develop a car that suits him and helps him.
“At Mercedes he was super comfortable and perhaps didn’t need the extra time.
“Now, he perhaps need to start from scratch."
'No major concern' about Lewis Hamilton's sim work
“I find it interesting the bond he’s already made with the Tifosi. They adore him already. Around 1,500 fans lined the perimeter of his first test which is more than Sebastian Vettel or Fernando Alonso had.
“He has already forged that connection and he seems to be embedding himself, in that sense. With the Tifosi and, more importantly, with the team itself.
“Hamilton has always said he hates testing - he always tried to get out of postseason testing. But there’s never been a question about how he drives a team forwards.
“I believe he’ll be fully rejuvenated to make those gains.”
Connor McDonagh added: “Other than last year, maybe, he was always the one trying to push the set-ups.
“He was in the simulator, trying to turn Mercedes around.
“He’s not going to give up. He’s going to be fully committed to the cause.
“There can be no major concern about his contribution, in that regard.”
Lewis Larkam replied: “There were times last season when Hamilton dipped out. There was an element of him just checking out.
“He knew Mercedes wouldn’t win races and certainly not the championship, and he knew that he was leaving.
“It was a strange dynamic of the move being announced before he left.
“Perhaps there was an element of Hamilton easing off, whether it was subconscious or not.
“Now, going into this season, he will be completely on it.
“It will be more of a question of how quickly he’s up to speed.”
