Lewis Hamilton is preparing for life at Ferrari and F1 president Stefano Domenicali was keen to offer suggestions to the seven-time world champion if he wants to fit in with the Italian team
Lewis Hamilton is preparing for life at Ferrari and F1 president Stefano Domenicali was keen to offer suggestions to the seven-time world champion if he wants to fit in with the Italian team Lewis Hamilton is preparing for life at Ferrari and F1 president Stefano Domenicali was keen to offer suggestions to the seven-time world champion if he wants to fit in with the Italian team
Lewis Hamilton has been told by ex-Ferrari boss and current F1 president Stefano Domenicali that he needs to learn Italian if he wants to be fully integrated at the Italian team.
The Brit has opted to take the advice and the former Mercedes man is currently learning a new language as he prepares for his two-year deal in Maranello. Hamilton signed with Ferrari nearly 12 months ago and will finally make the move to the illustrious outfit.
Ferrari are known for being incredibly patriotic and continue to be based out of Italy, unlike many of their rivals who have chosen to locate themselves in England, the likes of Mercedes and Red Bull.
Many of their leading lights and engineers are all Italian and Hamilton will need to quickly pick up the language if he is to easily communicate, Domenicali is adamant that he will need to speak their native tongue.
He told Autoracer : “He will bring a lot of interest. He is learning to speak Italian and to understand how to integrate into our culture. I told him, it is fundamental for him to be able to do this as well. In Ferrari he will find a different environment than before.”
Charles Leclerc, who has been with the team since 2019, is fluent in Italian and often speaks it over team radio. Sebastian Vettel, another former Scuderia driver, was capable of speaking Italian. Hamilton will have to quickly strike up a relationship with Leclerc if they are to have harmony in the team.
Domenicali said: “Charles will obviously have to accept that having someone like Lewis in the house will not be an easy partner. At the same time Lewis will definitely have the ability to transmit this positivity of his in trying to achieve his record.
“He has it as clear as if it were on the centre bar of the Halo. They love each other very much and I hope they will love each other again at the end of the year.”
(
Image:
PA)
Leclerc is yet to mount a title challenge despite often being near the front of the field. He’s won eight races whilst with the Italian team but, for the second time, will have to deal with a world champion team-mate.
He said: “I will be super curious to see what he has done right for all his career to have had all the success that he’s had. He has very little weaknesses – well actually, I don’t know any weaknesses of Lewis. He’s a super strong driver, always there, super fast, super consistent. It will be super interesting for me to learn from Lewis, as much as showing what I am capable of in the same car as Lewis. These two things motivate me a lot.”
Hamilton meanwhile is still looking to land the eighth world championship of his career which would set him out alone as the sport’s most successful driver. Currently he’s tied with Michael Schumacher on seven and hasn’t been the champion since 2020.
Learn more
Catch all the action from Formula One on Sky Sports and get exclusive access to races, qualifying and much more for every Grand Prix. From Max Verstappen to Lewis Hamilton, you won’t miss a lap on Sky Sports.
Mirror – Sport