By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – An energised Lewis Hamilton is enjoying “the most exciting period” of his life as he adapts to his new team Ferrari and gears up for the challenge of winning a record eighth Formula One world championship with the Italian outfit.
Sunday’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix will be Hamilton’s first race for the glamour team after winning his seven titles with McLaren and Mercedes.
The 40-year-old Briton said he was still getting to grips with his car and the Ferrari way of doing things but he was finding the work stimulating.
“Coming into Ferrari power, it’s something quite new, different vibration, different feel, different way of working. The whole team works completely differently,” he told reporters at Albert Park on Thursday.
“You’re looking at things from a different perspective, which makes it exciting and challenging.
“This is the most exciting period of my life, so I’m really just enjoying it and I’m so excited to get in the car tomorrow.”
While McLaren appeared to have the edge in speed at winter testing, according to Formula One data, Ferrari were not far behind in Bahrain.
Hamilton said he was confident in his car but offered only a modest target of a top-five finish for the first race. He said he was still in a transition period of building relationships and trust at his new team which could last half the season.
“Whilst respect is given, trust is something that’s built over time,” he said.
“I come with a very open mind coming into this weekend. It is about getting into a season, it’s about getting into a good rhythm.”
Hamilton’s switch has cranked up Ferrari fans’ hopes of a first championship since the 2008 constructors’ title, but the Briton said the only pressure he was under at Maranello came from his own desire to succeed.
“I’ve been giving absolutely everything to training to push my mind and my body further than I have before, trying to see if I can excel and just squeeze more juice out of this,” he said.
“And I’m under no assumptions that it will be easy.
“But … the outside pressure there is just non-existent for me.”
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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