Mika Hakkinen sends ‘Italian team’ warning to Lewis Hamilton ahead of Ferrari move

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Lewis Hamilton will face a challenge he’s never experienced before when he joins Ferrari in 2025, former F1 world champion Mika Hakkinen says.

It was confirmed at the start of last month that Hamilton will leave Mercedes at the end of the year and drive for the Scuderia in 2025, replacing Carlos Sainz.

But Hakkinen has warned the seven-time world champion that he could face a culture shock at Maranello.

Hamilton started out in F1 at McLaren, racing with the team from 2007 to 2012, when he opted to join Mercedes.

This is his 12th season with the Silver Arrows, and he’s set to extend his record of 222 races at a single team.

Only five of the drivers on the current grid – Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Sergio Perez (Red Bull), Valtteri Bottas (Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber), Daniel Ricciardo (Visa Cash App RB) and Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) – were racing in F1 when Hamilton started his Mercedes career.

Mika Hakkinen has warning for Lewis Hamilton before Ferrari move

Speaking to Planet F1, Hakkinen pointed out that Hamilton has only raced for British teams during his time in the sport.

McLaren are based in Woking, and though Mercedes-Benz is a German brand, their headquarters are in Brackley.

The 1998 and 1999 world champion says Hamilton will experience a different ‘philosophy’ when he joins the Italian marquee.

He said: “It’s quite a big change for him, because he’s been in a British team – let’s call it this way – for so many, many years.

“To now change to an Italian team, where he doesn’t have experience, it can be quite a big change for him – to understand the philosophy, and how they work.

“This has nothing to say they don’t work well or they don’t do the right thing, but it’s a big change.”

Hamilton seeks to avoid Vettel fate

Of all the teams on the F1 grid, Ferrari possess a unique allure, but that also brings a unique pressure.

After winning four titles with Red Bull, Sebastian Vettel jumped ship to the Prancing Horse at the end of 2014.

But he wasn’t able to deliver a championship, making a series of costly errors in the 2018 season when Ferrari battled Hamilton and Mercedes.

Vettel was ultimately dropped by the team in favour of Sainz in 2020.

Nonetheless, Hamilton will hope to put his own imprint on the team as he pursues a historic eighth Formula 1 crown.

Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft has said he ‘would love’ to see Red Bull designer Adrian Newey join Fred Vasseur’s project, and it also remains to be seen whether any Mercedes staff defect.