Whispers in Italy hint at Lewis Hamilton adaptation from Mercedes to Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton was “immediately” more comfortable driving for Ferrari in his first tests with the team than his Mercedes cars, it has been claimed.

According to the Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport, Hamilton had “good feelings” following outings in Ferrari’s SF-23 and then the SF-24.

The report claims that Hamilton quickly adapted to the Ferrari machinery, even the SF-23, which he crashed on the second day of the Barcelona TPC test.

Hamilton felt more comfortable in both cars than in his recent Mercedes machines, the report states.

The 40-year-old drove Ferrari’s 2023 challenger at Fiorano during his first week with the team.

This was followed up by a TPC test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Hamilton was then again in action last week, driving the SF-24, which narrowly missed out on the constructors’ title to McLaren in 2024.

Ferrari optimistic about Hamilton

After a successful first few weeks at Ferrari, the mood in the camp at Maranello is sky-high.

According to the same article, Ferrari are confident that Hamilton will be very competitive at the first race in Australia.

Hamilton heads into 2025 on the back of his weakest F1 season to date.

While the seven-time world champion took two wins last year, he was convincingly beaten by Mercedes teammate George Russell.

Hamilton’s struggles came mainly in qualifying, only beating Russell five times on a Saturday throughout the entire season.

With his new teammate, Charles Leclerc, Hamilton is going up against arguably the fastest driver in F1.

A new team should result in a shift of mindset for Hamilton, who was consistently downbeat at the end of his Mercedes tenure.

His form was so disappointing that it led to a remarkable claim from Hamilton that he’s no longer quick enough anymore.

What next for Hamilton and Ferrari?

With the recent Pirelli 2026 tyre test out of the way, attention switches to F1 launch season.

On February 18, all 10 teams will be at ‘F1 75 Live’ at the O2 in London.

All 10 teams will be present to unveil their new liveries for the year ahead.

24 hours later, the SF-25 - Ferrari’s 2025 car - will be officially launched at Maranello.

Hamilton and Leclerc are expected to hit the track on February 19 in the new car.

This will prepare them for pre-season testing in Bahrain, which kicks off from February 26-28.