Naomi Schiff raises key question for Lewis Hamilton ahead of Ferrari F1 debut in Australia
03/06/2025 06:08 PM
Belgian racing driver and television presenter Naomi Schiff believes that a crucial "million-dollar question" remains unanswered as Lewis Hamilton gears up for his Ferrari debut at the 2025 Formula 1 season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
With Lewis Hamilton making the high-profile switch from Mercedes to Ferrari, Italy now has a new hero to cheer for. The British driver shocked the F1 world by agreeing to leave Mercedes and sign a two-year contract with Ferrari, effective from the 2025 Formula 1 season, with an option for 2027. His final year at Mercedes in 2024 was filled with some awkward moments, marked by a farewell tour, as he and Carlos Sainz transitioned to new teams. Now, both drivers are settling into their roles at Ferrari and Williams ahead of the highly anticipated season opener at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne on March 16.
Naomi Schiff remains uncertain about Hamilton's adaptation to Ferrari's unique environment, despite the 40-year-old's dream move to the Scuderia. While the British driver’s decision to join Ferrari is aimed at securing his long-awaited eighth Formula 1 world title, Schiff still sees potential challenges ahead. The seven-time world champion, with 105 Grand Prix wins to his name, faces the daunting task of adapting to life with a new team and a new car, racing for the first time without the familiar Mercedes engine. Moreover, Hamilton must adjust to Ferrari's distinct culture, as it marks his first experience with a team outside of his British roots.
Naomi Schiff stated that the “million-dollar question” surrounding Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari debut is what he can achieve in the new car. She mentioned that this is the question everyone will be asking as the season begins.
She noted that transitioning to a new environment, team, and car is always challenging for drivers, as they cannot simply adjust immediately. Schiff pointed out that Hamilton had only three days of testing and some time with previous models of the car, along with all the simulator sessions available to him. She added that, after the testing, it was likely that Hamilton had identified areas where he was struggling, such as finding the right buttons on the steering wheel.
Schiff explained that these small details are crucial for Lewis Hamilton to get through in order to be fully prepared for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. She concluded that while there may still be work to do, she wouldn’t rule out any possibilities.
Ferrari has gone to great lengths to ensure that Lewis Hamilton adjusts as smoothly as possible to his new team, even going so far as to modify his steering wheel to suit his preferences. To aid Hamilton’s transition, Ferrari arranged several Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) runs at both Fiorano and the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. These sessions were designed to familiarize him with Ferrari’s power unit, car dynamics, and other essential components, including participating in a Pirelli 2026 tyre test ahead of the official F1 testing in Bahrain.
Despite these efforts, Naomi Schiff believes the seven-time Formula 1 world champion would still have left the Bahrain Grand Prix testing with some areas to fine-tune before his debut in Australia. Ferrari, however, is not expected to be the frontrunner this season, with Helmut Marko ranking the Scuderia behind McLaren and Red Bull in terms of overall performance.
One aspect Ferrari will hope Hamilton has fully adapted to is the steering wheel, an area that initially posed a challenge. Upon joining the team, Hamilton immediately requested changes to the Ferrari steering wheel, as he was accustomed to Mercedes’ setup. The positioning of the neutral and DRS buttons on the Ferrari wheel were not aligned with those on Mercedes' unit, creating a significant adjustment for the Briton.
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