Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari is one of the biggest storylines heading into the 2025 Formula One season.
Hamilton won six of his seven F1 titles with Mercedes-AMG Petronas, and with Ferrari will pursue his eighth championship – which would break a tie with Michael Schumacher for the most in the sport’s history.
The F1 season begins March 16 with the Australian Grand Prix, while the three races in the United States will be May 4 in Miami, Oct. 19 in Austin, Texas, then Nov. 22 in Las Vegas.
Reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull has won the last four championships, following Hamilton’s reign of titles in 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Hamilton, 40, has 105 career wins in Formula One — 84 with Mercedes after his first 21 with McLaren. After 12 seasons with Mercedes, Hamilton felt it was time for a change.
“You can’t stand still for too long,” Hamilton told TIME Magazine in a profile published Wednesday. “I needed to throw myself into something uncomfortable again. Honestly, I thought all my firsts were done. Your first car. Your first crash. Your first date. First day of school. The excitement I got by the idea of, ‘this is my first time in the red suit, the first time in the Ferrari.’ Wow. Honestly, I’ve never been so excited.”
Here are five interesting things Hamilton said in the Time article:
Hamilton is ‘built different’
Hamilton has a chance to pursue F1 history with his eighth championship, but he’ll have to fend off some of the sport’s rising stars like Verstappen (27 years old), McLaren’s Lando Norris (25), and even his new Ferrari teammate Charles LeClerc (27).
‘Don’t ever compare me to anybody else,” Hamilton said. ‘I’m the first and only Black driver that’s ever been in this sport. I’m built different. I’ve been through a lot. I’ve had my own journey. You can’t compare me to another 40-year-old, past or present, Formula One driver in history. Because they are nothing like me. I’m hungry, driven, don’t have a wife and kids. I’m focused on one thing, and that’s winning. That’s my No. 1 priority.”
Why Hamilton moved to Ferrari
Hamilton’s previous work with Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur is one of the instrumental reasons why he made the switch. They spoke about the move in December 2023, the article said.
‘We’re in a time of reimagining the future, re-imagining what really dreaming is about,” Hamilton said. “I’m going to Ferrari, man, and that’s the biggest dream.”
Hamilton’s opinion of himself in Ferrari red
Hamilton’s first image of himself wearing a Ferrari suit came while he was washing his hands in front of a mirror in ‘the loo” – or restroom.
‘The suit looked so good on me,” Hamilton said with a laugh. ‘I’m like, Damn.”
Hamilton has high hopes for ‘F1” movie this June
Like Netflix’s ‘Formula One: Drive to Survive” series has gained worldwide exposure for F1, Hamilton said he hopes the new “F1” movie can attract new fans.
‘F1’ stars Brad Pitt and was co-produced by Hamilton, Jerry Bruckheimer and others.
‘It’s going to blow away anything that’s ever been done in Formula One before,” Hamilton said.
“Netflix has been huge,” Hamilton added. ‘This is going to be even bigger, on more of a global scale.”
Hamilton’s retirement outlook
Hamilton is getting started all over again at Ferrari. So, there’s no thoughts of when he’ll leave the sport just yet.
‘What I can tell you is, retirement is nowhere on my radar,” says Hamilton. ‘I could be here until I’m 50, who knows.”