Lewis Hamilton Compares Himself To Alonso And Vettel In Surprising Ferrari Analysis

Saajan Jogia | Feb 23, 2025

Lewis Hamilton / Ferrari Press Imag

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has praised Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel for their successful stints with Ferrari. The two drivers in question got off to a strong start with immediate effect after their onboarding, something that Hamilton is unsure of being able to do himself. The Briton recognized the importance of starting on a high note but acknowledged the limited testing time.

Hamilton's arrival at Ferrari last month drew worldwide attention, especially from the Tifosi in Maranello. With expectations soaring, he recognized and appreciated the remarkable work Alonso and Vettel had done during their time with the team. The former raced for five years with the Scuderia from 2010 to 2014, securing eleven Grand Prix victories and several podium finishes. However, despite the strong showing, he missed winning a championship with Ferrari.

Vettel, who joined Ferrari in 2015 and raced until 2020, secured 14 Grand Prix victories and 54 podium finishes. While referring to Alonso and Vettel, Hamilton admitted that he is still acclimatizing to his Ferrari, and he has no answer as to how soon he will get to competitive pace with his new 2025 SF-25 F1 car this season. He said:

“That I don’t know.

“Those guys did an amazing job. I have huge respect for those two drivers and, having joined teams before, the step it takes and the amount of work that goes on to acclimatising is extraordinary.

“So it makes those results that they had even more exceptional than even I had appreciated before.”

Despite the limited testing time in Formula 1 today, Hamilton took to the track in old Ferrari machinery of the current era in two Testing of Previous Cars sessions at Fiorano and Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, followed by a Pirelli tire test in Barcelona. Last week, he had his first official run in the SF-25 at Fiorano. He added:

“What I know is that the testing is more limited than ever before but, fortunately, I’ve had a good bit of time in the car. I am still acclimatising.

“It took me six months, I think, in Mercedes to get my first win. Honestly, I don’t know, but I’m doing everything I can to be ready for race one.”

The 40-year-old driver shared his respect for Alonso and Vettel for joining Ferrari and adapting quickly, recognizing the time and effort required to build trust and form a strong bond. He acknowledged that he has had that opportunity only twice in his storied F1 career. Hamilton said:

“It’s given me even more appreciation, as I’ve mentioned, about Sebastian and Fernando joining here.

“As we’ve watched over the years, drivers moving around, some moving around a lot more than others. And I’ve always thought to myself, for me, I know how long it takes to build trust and grow within a team and grow with people.

“As I’ve experienced that with Mercedes, I’ve experienced that with McLaren. And I really cherish the longevity that I had within those places and the bonds that we created in that time. And they don’t happen overnight.”