Former F1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella stated that it "will be easy" for Hamilton to integrate with Ferrari and feel stray away like part of the family.
The 2024 season hasn't even begun, but we already have a huge teaser for the 2025 season in the form of Lewis Hamilton signing a contract with Ferrari.
He will be driving alongside Charles Leclerc, with whom he will form possibly the strongest duo on the grid. Many experts already tried to compare the two drivers, guessing which one might have an advantage over the other. Fisichella told the Express, in collaboration with BetIdeas.com:
"It's going to be tough. They are two amazing drivers, two quick drivers, especially in the qualifying sessions. Charles is always on top, he has scored a lot of pole positions."
The general notion is that Lecelrc could have the edge over the number 44 driver in qualifying sessions, but it remains a question how the two will compare in the race pace, which is where Hamilton excels.
"Charles has [been integrated] into the team since a few years [ago], so for Lewis, it will be not easy to beat him. I think he needs to be very focused on it… [have] concentration… spend a lot of time in the factory, Maranello, with the mechanics."
In his initial reactions to the announcement of Hamilton's contract with Ferrari, Jenson Button (his former teammate) suggested it's going to be tough for the seven-time World Champion to join the Italian-speaking team and race alongside a driver who also speaks Italian.
The integration with the team can apparently have a significant influence on the driver's performance. However, Fisichella asserted he isn't afraid about that at all. He added:
"But it will be easy for Lewis to get into the team because the atmosphere in Ferrari is great and the people are so nice, so you feel straight away in the family."