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Due to his contract with Mercedes, Hamilton couldn’t test for Ferrari until mid-January. This meant he had less time to prepare for his debut with the team.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton (X)
Lewis Hamilton believes Sebastian Vettel had an advantage when he joined Ferrari due to early testing time.
Talking about the same, Vettel left Red Bull at the end of 2014, and although he skipped the post-season Abu Dhabi test, he quickly got to work with Ferrari. He spent November and December testing a 2012-spec car at Fiorano. This gave him valuable time to adjust before his first race.
Hamilton, however, remained a Mercedes driver until December 31, 2024. Due to his contract, he couldn’t test for Ferrari until mid-January. This meant he had less time to prepare for his debut with the team.
As he gears up for his first race with Ferrari in Australia, Hamilton admitted Vettel’s early testing was a big advantage.
“I still feel there is plenty to come,” Hamilton told the media, including RacingNews365. “Luckily, I got to drive the 2023 car so I could compare it with the 2024 model. I could see where Ferrari made progress.”
He pointed out that Vettel had two months to get used to Ferrari’s systems before his debut. In contrast, Hamilton has had just one month to adjust.
“I started late compared to others like Sebastian. He had two months, while I’ve had just one,” Hamilton said. “A lot has been crammed into this short period, but I like to jump in and figure things out.”
Despite the time crunch, Hamilton feels he is adapting well. He believes Ferrari has built a strong foundation but admits there is still work to do.
“We won’t know exactly where we stand until the first race, but we are working hard,” he said.
Hamilton is impressed by Ferrari’s dedication. He has spent time getting to know the team, including the night-shift crew, to understand their working processes.
“It just takes time,” he added.
With his first race for Ferrari approaching, Hamilton remains focused. While his preparation time was shorter than Vettel’s, he is determined to make the most of the opportunity.