MARANELLO, Italy (Reuters) – Lewis Hamilton’s first race for Ferrari in Australia next week is reminding him of how he felt ahead of his Formula One debut for McLaren in Melbourne in 2007.
The seven-times world champion, the sport’s most successful driver with 105 grand prix victories and 202 podiums, said at an event for Ferrari partner Puma on Tuesday night that the excitement was building.
“It’s been a long winter, but it’s also been very short. But I’m really grateful we had good testing last week,” said the 40-year-old Briton.
“I can’t believe the race is already next week… it’ll start to sink in a little bit as the weekend arrives. And I feel excited. I feel we are as best prepared as we could be, given the short space of time that I have had.
“There’s still things to learn but I’m just excited to get going. I love racing… being at Melbourne is going to be very reminiscent of my first grand prix there.”
Hamilton, whose bid for an eighth title with the most glamorous team on the grid has captured the headlines, made a stunning rookie debut for McLaren in 2007 when he finished third.
He went on to finish on the podium in his first nine races, winning twice and ending the season as overall runner-up to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. The following year he won his first title.
Hamilton said he was still pinching himself at being a Ferrari driver.
“Next week when I get to the race, I’m going to be starting a grand prix in red. Like, wow… I don’t have the words to really explain just how excited I am,” he said.
“I’m trying to just stay cool and calm, but for sure, arriving in red (at Melbourne) is going to be cool.”
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Christian Radnedge)
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