Hamilton shares experience of reuniting with Cullen

Lewis Hamilton has opened up about reuniting with former trainer Angela Cullen ahead of his debut season as a Ferrari driver, with the seven-time World Champion describing Cullen’s acceptance of his offer to join him for his new chapter as “really exciting”.

Cullen was a familiar presence in the paddock for many years, having first partnered with Hamilton back in 2016 before being a part of his team through the successful years that followed with Mercedes.

It was confirmed ahead of the 2023 campaign that they would part ways but Cullen has now joined Hamilton again as he embarks on the first season of his multi-year deal with Ferrari.

Asked during pre-season testing in Bahrain about how important it was to have familiar faces like Cullen around whilst transitioning to a new team, Hamilton responded: “It’s always important to have a good foundation of people around you.

MONTE CARLO, MONACO - MAY 25: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1, celebrates pole with Angela Cullen, — Hamilton and Cullen previously worked together for several years

“I’ve generally had a very good base for many, many years, so I still have all the team that I had last year but I’ve brought Ange in on top of that. We have a great relationship, me and Ange; we’ve known each other for a long, long time, we’ve gone through a lot together.

“She took a couple of years out and she spent time with her family and discovering the world, and asking her to come and start this new chapter with me and her accepting it was really exciting, and we’ve been having a blast – this past month together has been really awesome.”

It comes as Hamilton continues to adapt to his new environment at Ferrari and, when asked about how he was finding life in red and the process of getting to know new people at the squad, the 40-year-old spoke positively about both.

“I think red suits me, so it’s good!” Hamilton smiled. “We tested it out last year in a couple of outfits. Honestly, it’s an honour to be a part of this historic team.

Lewis Hamilton's first reflections of his Ferrari testing debut

“Red is the colour of passion [and] of love; there’s a huge amount of passion in this team, also with the fanbase that they have, the Tifosi, and you see that with everyone at Ferrari.

“Obviously at Ferrari you’ve got the car manufacturer as well but we’re all under the same roof, so when I cross the road and go to the wind tunnel, for example, I see other members of the team – they’re not necessarily on the race team but they’re still a part of the team, so it’s really, really special to see that and experience that each day, and each day I’m meeting new people all the time.

“They’ve gone out of their way to make me feel welcome. Honestly, it’s been the best month – I’ve had the best time. It’s been tiring, we’ve definitely all been pushing, but this is the time of focus.

“Everyone has their heads down, solely focused on doing the best we can, and as am I, just trying to make sure that we bring our best each day.”