'I don't feel the pressure': Hamilton stays cool for Ferrari debut

Lewis Hamilton has insisted he has nothing to prove and feels no pressure going into his first race for Ferrari at the Formula One season opener in Melbourne this weekend, with the seven-time champion simply revelling in what he described as the most exciting period of an already long and storied career.

- Giles Richards

Hamilton, who made his F1 debut in 2007 and is now entering his 19th season in the sport, will make his debut with Ferrari at Albert Park after six years at McLaren and then 12 at Mercedes.

Driving for the Scuderia had long been a childhood dream for the British driver and the interest in his switch to racing for the sport's most famous and most successful marque has already been intense, reaching an apogee in the buildup to the opening meeting in Albert Park.

Hamilton, speaking before the teams take to the track for the first time today in Melbourne, conceded he was aware the task facing him in adapting to a new team at 40 and coming up to speed in no short order was considerable. But he felt confident in his ability to deliver.

"I'm under no assumptions that it will be easy, it is not," he said. "But I don't feel the pressure. The outside pressure, it's nonexistent for me. The pressure is from within and what I want to achieve. I'm not here to prove anything to anybody, I don't feel I have to do anything.