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Lewis Hamilton’s Transition to Ferrari: A New Approach with Familiar Tools
Lewis Hamilton’s early experiences with Ferrari have demonstrated promising potential, despite challenges faced during the initial races in Australia and China. The highlight of this transition came with Hamilton securing his first sprint pole and victory in Shanghai, a significant morale boost as he adapts to driving for the legendary Scuderia.
Hamilton has discussed the ongoing process of acclimatizing to the 2025 Ferrari, which is designed around a different philosophy than what he experienced during his extensive tenure at Mercedes. With over a decade at Mercedes, Hamilton developed a distinct driving style that he is now working to refine as he learns the intricacies of the Ferrari machine.
In the highly competitive environment of Formula 1, every detail counts. This reality has prompted Ferrari to closely analyze Hamilton’s former setups at Mercedes, leading to a number of adjustments, including modifications to the steering wheel’s design.
Custom Changes to Hamilton’s Steering Wheel
Photo by: Gianluca D’Alessandro
Ferrari captured attention at the Australian Grand Prix by personalizing Hamilton’s steering wheel with a unique welcome message on its launch screen. However, the modifications extend well beyond mere aesthetics. Teams can significantly alter steering wheel configurations to suit a driver’s preferences. For Hamilton, Ferrari redesigned the clutch and gear levers to enhance comfort and usability while driving. Moreover, at a software level, the team optimized the display of data to resonate better with Hamilton’s preferences, deviating from what Charles Leclerc is accustomed to.
Hamilton’s steering wheel not only presents fundamental metrics such as speed, gear selection, time, and delta but also includes advanced data points that are absent on Leclerc’s screen. Notable additions are indicators for engine mapping variations and the state of charge (SOC) for the battery pack, allowing Hamilton to assess crucial performance factors on the fly.
This customization serves a dual purpose. While Mercedes employed a strategy that centralized power unit management through a single ‘STRAT’ knob, Ferrari has opted for a more segmented approach, leading to multiple configurations for engine and hybrid management settings.
Contrasting Engine Management Strategies
Photo by: Gianluca D’Alessandro
In contrast to the setup used by Leclerc, Hamilton has shifted the hybrid management display to the lower area of the wheel, maintaining the upper selectors configured similarly to his previous Mercedes settings for differential and braking adjustments. Additionally, Hamilton has championed the inclusion of both engine and hybrid mode configurations on his screen, ensuring he remains informed of the chosen settings throughout the race—mirroring his previous methodology at Mercedes. This configuration also allows him to monitor essential temperatures more effectively.
The differences in operational design between Ferrari and Mercedes extend to the organization of steering wheel functions. While Mercedes streamlined theirs into just three dials, Ferrari offers a more complex layout with a quick selector option in the center of the wheel. This selector enables Hamilton to adjust modes rapidly during a race, with specific options for various scenarios like race mode, pitstop preparations, and qualifying settings. Additional functions also allow for monitoring of vital data such as tire status and fuel consumption.
Detailed Control for Improved Performance
Photo by: Gianluca D’Alessandro
Beneath Hamilton’s engine mapping indicator lies a dedicated box for ‘Multi’, allowing for secondary settings to be accessed more conveniently. This level of detailed management presents Hamilton with more real-time information compared to Leclerc, who prefers a simplified approach to data on his steering wheel.
While these adjustments may not drastically transform the operation of Hamilton’s car, they are integral in expediting his comfort within the SF-25. If these modifications help Hamilton acclimate faster, then Ferrari’s efforts to personalize his experience will have proven beneficial.
Source
www.autosport.com