Lewis Hamilton Confident Ferrari Has ‘Every Ingredient’ To Win World Championship, Dismisses Retirement Talk

Lewis Hamilton has expressed his unwavering belief in his new team, Ferrari, stating that the Italian outfit possesses “every ingredient” necessary to secure a world championship. The British driver, who made a high-profile switch from Mercedes to Ferrari during the off-season, also confirmed that he has no intentions of retiring from the sport, even if he manages to clinch a record-breaking eighth title this year.

At Fiorano, Hamilton shared his thoughts on Ferrari’s potential to fight for the championship in his debut season with the team. “Yes,” he affirmed when asked if Ferrari is ready to win a title. “I’ve worked with two world championship-winning teams before, and I know what a winning team looks and feels like. The passion here is like nothing you have ever seen. They have got every ingredient they need to win a world championship, it’s just about putting all the pieces together.”

The 40-year-old champion praised the leadership at Ferrari, singling out team principal Fred Vasseur, president John Elkann, and CEO Benedetto Vigna for their calm and measured approach. “We’ve got great leaders in Fred, John, and Benedetto, and everyone just has a really calm and good approach,” Hamilton said. “No one is like, ‘we’re perfect in every single area.’ Everyone wants to elevate everywhere, and they are leaving no stone unturned to do that.”

When questioned about the possibility of retiring if he were to secure an eighth world title, surpassing the record he currently shares with Michael Schumacher, Hamilton remained resolute. “If I was fortunate enough to win another title, which is obviously what we are setting out to do, I don’t see myself stopping,” he stated.

Hamilton, who holds the record for the most race wins in F1 history with 105 victories, narrowly missed out on an eighth title in 2021 due to a controversial safety car restart in the final race of the season. However, the British driver emphasized that a championship with Ferrari would hold a different significance altogether. “To me, it would be the first,” he explained. “Winning the championship for Ferrari is the first. That’s what I’m working towards. I don’t think about the number eight. I’m thinking about the first championship that the team’s won for some time, although they’ve already had many, many world championships over the history.”

Despite his vast experience in the sport, Hamilton acknowledged that his move to Ferrari represents a significant challenge, given the time it takes to build trust and grow within a new team. “This step [to Ferrari] is huge. It couldn’t be any bigger. The organisation is massive. The passion adds to it from the fans, from the diversity, from the people within, for that desire to want to win. And you don’t want to let people down. You want to be able to deliver on your word,” he said.

To meet the demands of this new challenge, Hamilton has resolved to elevate his performance in every aspect of his life, from fitness and time management to his engagement with engineers and the time spent at the factory. “How I decided to come into this year, my resolution, my mentality, is I need to elevate in absolutely every area of my side,” he revealed. “And I’ve definitely done that, and I’m doing that, and I will continue to do that in this strive for perfection and to achieve the success that I’m aiming to achieve. But it’s a lot of work, I have to say.”