Hamilton opens up on Cullen’s ‘exciting’ return

Lewis Hamilton has opened up about the emotional and professional lift he’s felt since bringing Angela Cullen, his long-standing physiotherapist and confidant, back into his corner as he embarks on a new chapter with Ferrari in 2025.

The seven-time world champion, speaking to Sky Sports on the second day of pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, didn’t hold back on how much Cullen’s return means to him.

After a dominant tenure at Mercedes, where Cullen was a fixture by his side from 2016 to 2023, her unexpected departure in 2022 left a void.

Now, their reunion signals a return to a familiar foundation at a pivotal moment in his career.

For Hamilton, the 50-year-old Kiwi’s presence is more than just a professional asset – it’s a personal triumph.

“It’s always important to have a good foundation of people around me,” he said in Bahrain on Thursday.

“I’ve generally had a very good base for many, many years. I still have all the team that I had last year but I’ve brought Angie on top of that. We have a great relationship me and Ange.”

A Bond Forged Through Time and Trials

The connection between Hamilton and Cullen runs deep, forged over years of shared highs and lows during his Mercedes glory days. Her decision to step away in 2022 was a shock to the F1 paddock.

But Hamilton saw it as a temporary detour, not an end.

“We’ve known each other for a long, long time,” he reflected. “We’ve gone through a lot together. She took a couple of years out to spend time with her family and discovering the world.

“Asking her to come and start this new chapter with me, and her accepting was pretty exciting.”

Cullen’s return isn’t just a nostalgic reunion – it’s a deliberate move to bolster his support system as he navigates the pressures of adapting to a new team and car, the SF-25, ahead of the season opener.

Her presence offers a touchstone of stability amid the whirlwind of change.

Adapting to Ferrari’s Rhythm

Beyond the emotional boost, Hamilton is channeling his focus into the technical demands of pre-season testing in Bahrain.

The 40-year-old has been encouraged by his initial impressions of the SF-25, describing it as a car he’s “really enjoying.”

“We’re testing a bunch of things,” he revealed. “So I’m not doing set-up changes or directing where I want the car to go. We’re just going through the motions.

“Today was a bit more of getting to explore a bit of my interaction with my engineer. So far I really enjoy driving this car.”

The shift from Mercedes to Ferrari requires more than just a change of scenery—it’s a reorientation of driving style and technical approach.

“All the settings are so different,” Hamilton noted. “So even just brake bias and all those sorts of things, it’s much different to what I had in the previous place.

“It’s not necessarily unlearning what I did before, but kind of relearning this new way of working and where the car likes to be driven.

“It likes to be driven differently. And that’s a really fun journey learning that. But at the moment, it feels that we definitely feel the car underneath me. I feel that the car is responding to my inputs.”

This week’s Bahrain test is just the beginning, but with Cullen back in his corner, Hamilton is rediscovering the joy of the ride – both in and out of the cockpit.

For a driver chasing an eighth title, that blend of comfort and challenge could prove the perfect formula.

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