Lewis Hamilton is primed to make his first F1 race look for the well-known Italian automotive producer at Albert Park.
Lewis Hamilton says he’s itching to get going in the course of the “most enjoyable interval of my life” at Ferrari whereas cautioning a couple of transition interval as he will get used to a brand new automotive.
After 12 years with Mercedes, he’ll race for the primary time within the Ferrari pink on the season-opening Australian Grand Prix this weekend, understanding expectations are excessive.
The seven-time world champion formally started work on the Scuderia in January after his shock transfer and accomplished 162 laps of testing in Bahrain.
Hamilton, 40, mentioned on Thursday it was onerous to evaluate Ferrari’s place within the pecking order so early within the season.
“Clearly three days within the automotive, troublesome to know the place we stand with everybody else. However we simply attempt to maintain our heads down and simply deal with our job,” he mentioned in Melbourne on Thursday.
“However for me, I imply, I’m simply itching to get going, I suppose it’s been a very long time coming.”
Ferrari had been pipped to the constructors’ championship by McLaren final 12 months, the seventh time the Italian crew had completed second since they final received the crew title in 2008.
Kimi Raikkonen was the final Ferrari driver to carry the world championship for the well-known Italian automotive producer in 2007, and Hamilton tempered expectations about what he may obtain.
“I’ve an expectation for myself. I do know what I can deliver, I do know I can ship, I do know what it’s going to take to try this, and it’s simply getting your head down and dealing away,” he mentioned.
“So I include a really open thoughts. It’s about stepping into the season, that is about stepping into rhythm.
“I’m nonetheless studying this new automotive that’s quite a bit completely different to what I’ve pushed for my earlier profession, within the sense of Mercedes energy coming into Ferrari energy,” he added.
“It’s one thing fairly new, completely different vibration, completely different really feel, completely different method of working.
“The entire crew works fully otherwise.”
However he mentioned the brand new problem motivated him.
“Undoubtedly that is essentially the most thrilling interval of my life, and so I’m actually simply having fun with it, and I’m so excited to get within the automotive tomorrow,” he mentioned on Thursday.
Requested what can be end in Melbourne, he replied: “I believe I simply finally need to come away understanding that I’ve given completely all the pieces.
“That I’ve excelled in the best way that I do know I can, that I felt snug within the automotive and only one foot in entrance of the opposite.”
