Lewis Hamilton surprised by Ferrari: 'Not at all what I expected'

Lewis Hamilton has revealed life at Ferrari is far different to what he had envisaged before switching from Mercedes over the F1 off-season.

The British driver left the Brackley-based squad for Maranello after 12 years, leaving behind a legacy of eight constructors' championships and six of his seven F1 drivers' titles. That success made them the most successful driver-team combination in F1 history.

But, the 40-year-old sought pastures new and a fresh challenge, opting to join his old GP2 boss Fred Vasseur at the Scuderia.

It has been, however, far from a dream start to life at Ferrari for the 105-time grand prix winner, at least on the track.

Results have failed to live up to the lofty expectations that accompanied Hamilton to the Prancing Horse.

Aside from a sprint victory and a further sprint podium, in China and Miami, respectively, he has failed to reach the rostrum and is being outclassed and overshadowed by Charles Leclerc.

After 14 rounds of the season, he sits in sixth on 109 points, 42 adrift of his team-mate, who has also claimed five podium finishes.

Those struggles culminated in some remarkable comments from the seven-time F1 drivers' champion over the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, where he publicly admonished himself for his failings.

Nonetheless, Hamilton has stayed positive about the team and its personnel. When asked to reflect on his first few months at Ferrari, he immediately focused on the unexpected intensity - and "impressive" facilities.

"It's not at all what I expected; it's more intense in so many areas," the Ferrari driver told French outlet RTBF Actus. "I didn't expect that.

"I didn't think the team at the factory would be so impressive. I was expecting energy, but this... It's even more intense than I imagined."

Hamilton expanded on his comments, expressing his immense "pride" at racing for Ferrari, explaining that he still has to "pinch" himself at realising a childhood dream.

"There's a huge sense of pride within this team. During a shoot last week, I had a big smile on my face the whole time," he added.

"I love being in red! I look at the badge and I think, 'Wow!' It's Ferrari, I can't believe it. I still have to pinch myself, I think, 'I'm driving for Ferrari.' It's phenomenal."