P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lewis Hamilton realising he is ‘not the baby of the house’ at Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton is coming to terms with not being ‘the baby of the house’ at Ferrari and is facing significant cultural differences following his move from Mercedes. This assessment comes from former Renault and Lotus team principal, Eric Boullier, along with former McLaren racing director. Hamilton’s transfer from Mercedes, a team where he achieved his seven F1 titles and broke records, to fulfill his dream of racing for Ferrari has been a highly anticipated storyline in the sport. Despite winning the sprint before the Chinese Grand Prix in the second race weekend of the season, Hamilton, now 40 years old, has struggled to have a major impact. In races, he hasn’t finished higher than fourth place, narrowly missing a podium spot at the Emilia Romagna race at Imola. Following a disappointing sixth-place finish in the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, Hamilton seemed perplexed by his car’s lack of pace. Boullier acknowledges the bravery Hamilton showed by leaving Mercedes for Ferrari but highlights the inherent challenges in transitioning between top teams, emphasizing that adapting to a new team becomes more strenuous the higher a driver’s status in the sport.
