LEWIS HAMILTON has revealed his first phone call with Ferrari left him shaking on the bathroom floor.
The seven-time F1 champion is swapping Mercedes for the Italian giants this season.
Hamilton, 40, penned a two-year deal with Ferrari following the surprise switch last year.
He joined Mercedes in 2013 and won six Drivers Championships with the team.
Hamilton agreed a new contract with Toto Wolff’s company in 2023, with the contract including a break-clause after a year.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur got in contact with Hamilton shortly after that deal was struck.
And the Brit superstar admits he was completely floored to hear of Ferrari’s interest.
The F1 star told TIME: “I remember getting off the phone and, like, almost shaking.
“I was like, holy s***! I literally just signed with Mercedes.
“It was a lot to take in and my emotions were really high. So I honestly had to go for a walk.”
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He added: “My eyes felt really calm and present. This is the right thing for me.”
Hamilton’s mega-money deal will see him earn £100million over his two years with Ferrari.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Lewis Hamilton models new Ferrari gear but fans notice ‘hideous’ issue ” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6368298554112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]Winning one more world championship would take him past Michael Schumacher‘s all-time record of eight.
Hamilton will race with Ferrari for the first time at the Melbourne Grand Prix next week.
And he puts his stunning desire to win down to focusing solely on racing.
Hamilton added: “Don’t ever compare me to anybody else.
“I’m the first and only Black driver that’s ever been in this sport.
“I’m built different. I’ve been through a lot. I’ve had my own journey.
You can’t compare me to another 40-year-old, past or present, Formula One driver in history.
“Because they are nothing like me. I’m hungry, driven, don’t have a wife and kids.
“I’m focused on one thing, and that’s winning. That’s my No.1 priority.”