168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton has shed more details about the key phone call which initiated his move to Ferrari.

After three days of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain, Ham🍸ilton has further acclimatised to his SF-25.

Ferrari, last year’s runners-up in the constructors’ championshi💝p, helped both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc to grand prix wins ꩲin 2024.

They hope to deliver Hamilt🗹on a car capable of winning his e🐼ighth drivers’ title in 2025.

Although Hamilton spoke to Ferrari president John Elkann as far back as 201🌺8, he admitted to conceding he would never drive for 🦩Ferrari by 2020.

But a phone call, w🐼hen Hamilton was in his Colorado home in December 2023, changed everything.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, who had worked with Hamilton 🐻when he was a junior driver, had got wind of a clause in the star’s latest Mercedes contract which could temp🍒t him away.

Vasseur asked Hamilton on the phone to join Fer𝓰rari.

Lewis Hamilton recounts key Ferrari call

“I remember getting off the phone and🎉, 🌺like, almost shaking,” Hamilton told TIME.

“I was like, Oh God!”

Hamilton claimed♒ that he and his friend sat on the bathroom floor in a state of shock after the phone call.

“I was like, Holy sh-t,” sa♚id Hamilton. “I literally just signed with Me🅠rcedes.

“It was a lot to take in, and my emotionsไ were re✅ally high. So I honestly had to go for a walk.”

Hamilton first walked for an hou💧r to think. He then 🌄spent several days meditating.

“My eyes felt really calm and present,” Hamilt🌄on reflected.

“This is the right thing for me.”

He added about moving teams: “You canꦺ’t stand still for too long.

“I needed to throw myself into something uncoꦛmfortable again.

“Honestly, I thought all my firsts were done. Your first car, your first crash, your first da⭕te, first day of school.

“The excitement I ꧂got by the idea of, ‘This is my first time in the red suit, th🉐e first time in the Ferrari.’

“Wow. Honestly, I’ve never been so excited.”

Lewis Hamilton on Mercedes' future

Hamilton told his long-time Mercedes colleagues that he was leaving during a team bo💛nding paintball outing.

Hamilton admitted that, although they were supportive🅠, he took a battering in the subsequent paintballing game.

“There is no bad blood,” Hamilton confirmed.

“Absolutely not. We won so many championships.”

He said about his former team: “They have all the ingredients to win world championships, and they will w🧔in more world championships. I have no doubt.”

George Ru⛎ssell has become Mercedes’ senior driver in 2025.

Last year, Russell comprehensively out-qualified Ham꧟ilton in a serious statement of his ability.

And🍌rea Kimi Anto♊nelli, feted by Toto Wolff as a big star of the future, has replaced Hamilton.

Mercedes hope that their W16 has ironed ♕out many of the problems faced by Hamilto💖n last year.