Lewis Hamilton is progressively coming to phrases with the truth that he’s now not ‘the newborn of the home’ at Ferrari and is dealing with appreciable cultural variations after his high-profile transfer from Mercedes. This angle comes from Eric Boullier, former Renault and Lotus crew principal in addition to ex-McLaren racing director.
The Briton’s switch from Mercedes—a crew that formed him right into a seven-time System 1 world champion and helped him shatter quite a few data—to Ferrari, fulfilling a lifelong ambition to race for the enduring Scuderia, stays one of the crucial talked-about transitions in F1 historical past.
Regardless of securing a dash race win earlier than the Chinese language Grand Prix early within the 2025 System 1 season, the 40-year-old driver has discovered it difficult to depart a significant mark in common Grand Prix races. His greatest end to date has been fourth place, narrowly lacking out on the rostrum on the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola.
Simply two weeks later, Lewis Hamilton left the Circuit de Catalunya after ending sixth in the Barcelona Grand Prix in Montmelo, showing puzzled and annoyed by his lack of ability to extract aggressive tempo from his Ferrari automotive.
Eric Boullier, who spent 4 years at Renault/Lotus and over 4 and a half years with McLaren, respects Lewis Hamilton’s choice to depart Mercedes and be part of Ferrari, calling it a “very courageous transfer.” Nevertheless, he additionally acknowledges that difficulties have been at all times to be anticipated.
He defined that when a driver has achieved every thing and is broadly thought to be the GOAT (Best of All Time), adapting to a brand new crew, particularly one like Ferrari, is a major problem. Based on Boullier, transferring from Mercedes—a dominant prime crew with which Hamilton loved long-term success—to a different elite crew corresponding to Ferrari is way extra advanced than switching to a midfield squad.
On the subject of cultural adjustment, Eric Boullier drew parallels to Fernando Alonso’s struggles when he joined McLaren in 2007 after profitable two consecutive championships with Renault. Alonso anticipated preferential therapy at McLaren however discovered himself competing in opposition to Hamilton, then a rookie, who shortly turned the crew’s focus.
The French motor racing engineer and supervisor highlighted that Lewis Hamilton is now experiencing an identical dynamic at Ferrari with Charles Leclerc, the place the Briton is now not the favored “child of the home.”
He noticed that Lewis Hamilton’s radio communications along with his race engineer counsel he’s nonetheless struggling to settle into the brand new crew surroundings, and Eric Boullier believes it’s going to take time for the seven-time System 1 world champion to totally adapt to the brand new actuality. Additional, the previous racing director of the McLaren F1 Workforce famous that Lewis Hamilton would have felt extra comfy being English in a British-based crew like Mercedes, whose headquarters and energy unit amenities are situated in Brackley and Brixworth, England.
Eric Boullier even in contrast Lewis Hamilton’s scenario to that of former F1 driver Romain Grosjean, whom he signed for Lotus in 2012 regardless of widespread skepticism. Many doubted Grosjean’s talents initially, however Boullier stood by him and was ultimately confirmed proper as Romain Grosjean turned a podium contender.
The previous crew principal careworn that crew tradition considerably impacts how nicely a driver integrates, suggesting this can be a key problem for Lewis Hamilton at in Maranello.
He emphasised that whereas Hamilton’s pace and standing as one of many biggest drivers in F1 historical past are undisputed, it’s clear that Charles Leclerc feels extra at residence inside Ferrari’s tradition, whereas Hamilton continues to be working to seek out his place.
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