Lewis Hamilton offered some short responses in Italian during an interview with Sky Sports Italy after the SF-25 launch event in Fiorano. The Brit has been taking lessons, but his efforts were the subject of a cheeky joke from Red Bull boss Christian Horner earlier in the week.

The Brit spent his entire F1 career working within the UK with McLaren and Mercedes, so moving to Maranello for his Ferrari switch was a significant cultural shift for Hamilton.

Ahead of the move, former Ferrari chief and current F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali gave the seven-time world champion some valuable advice. “He will bring a lot of interest,” he told Autoracer.

“He is learning to speak Italian and to understand how to integrate into our culture. I told him it is fundamental for him to be able to do this as well. In Ferrari, he will find a different environment than before.”

Hamilton has since followed Domenicali’s advice. The Brit is taking lessons to learn Italian and has interacted with fans outside Maranello, including on his first day at the factory, in their native tongue.

He has since stepped up his attempts, engaging in a dual-language interview with Sky Sports Italy. The Brit greeted his interviewers with “Grazie” before he was asked, in Italian, if he was still excited a few weeks after joining Ferrari.

Hamilton understood the question without translation and replied: “Si, si. [Io sono] molto emozionato. Sono felice.” When translated, the Brit’s reply means: “Yes, yes. [I am] very excited. I am happy.” He then switched to English to add: “I’m very proud.”

Red Bull boss Horner saw the funny side of Hamilton’s early attempts to speak Italian. Addressing his long-time rival’s new surroundings, he told media, including Express Sport: “I think it is very much how he goes into it.

“I think if he gets off to a good start and gets the team around him, he’ll find his confidence, and he could very capably be a real contender for this championship. He seems to be embracing his new environment.

I saw a video of him speaking Italian the other day… or an English version of Italian. And they’ll love him if he is quick and he delivers. He’ll feed off that energy. If it doesn’t get off to a good start, it will inevitably be harder for him.”