From the second stepped foot within the industrial city of Maranello on a bleak overcast day , the fanfare has exceeded all expectations.
The truth is, has by no means seen something fairly like this.
The merging of the game’s greatest star and the game’s most fabled crew has resulted in great scenes of devotion, splendour and brouhaha. Most of those have taken place in Italy, Hamilton’s new dwelling away from Monaco, with in London on Tuesday.
Hamilton himself, described his first month as a driver as, fairly merely, “magic.”
But past the commotion and vigour off-track, subsequent week is when it’s all the way down to actual enterprise with testing in Bahrain. How fast is Ferrari’s new automobile? The Briton can be all too conscious that the previous 32 days should not be his 2025 peak.
Meet and greet
Day 1 at Ferrari HQ noticed Hamilton assembly the 1,500-strong workforce in numerous departments at Ferrari. He shook everybody’s hand earlier than posing for that almost all hanging of photographs in entrance of Enzo Ferrari’s home, dressed immaculately in a double-breasted black swimsuit.
The image dropped. And the response surged. It turned the ever on Instagram.
Shortly, followers pointed to the potential symbolism behind seven open home windows within the background – was the closed entrance door a foresight for title quantity eight?
He additionally met supporters crowded outdoors the manufacturing unit, flanked by Ferrari chairman John Elkann – the person praised for luring Hamilton to the Scuderia for £50m-a-year – who had the face of a proud uncle.
A ‘good’ meal at Ristorante Monatana
Day two noticed a seat becoming and a primary glimpse of Hamilton in a scarlet pink race swimsuit, adorned with the prancing horse. By dusk, although, he was eating at Ristorante Monatana – a favorite venue of Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher.
Joined by his father Anthony, mom Carmen, stepmother Linda and Piero Ferrari (son of Enzo), the 40-year-old opted for a vegetarian ragu in a venue surrounded by Scuderia memorabilia.
Joint-owner Maurizio Giannini described Hamilton and the night as “perfecto.”
He added: “No vanity. He’s good for Ferrari.”
Guess who’s again?
Opposite to fashionable perception, the most important revelation on Hamilton’s third and last day of publicity in week one was not his first drive for Ferrari, in a 2023 automobile as a part of a TPC (Testing of Earlier Vehicles) programme. Hamilton did, nonetheless, state later that his expertise was to his earlier automobiles for Mercedes and McLaren.
Nor was it taking the acclaim of the adoring tifosi, with 1000’s lining the bridge on Through Giardini, as they got here near their hero.
One poster learn: “Welcome Lewis. Till yesterday a rival and now, one among us.”
As an alternative, it was the information that Angela Cullen, Hamilton’s former private coach and confidante of seven years, had returned in partnership with Mission 44, the Brit’s charity.
Two years after from Mercedes, the New Zealander was one among many captivated onlookers sporting scarlet pink as Hamilton loved his first Ferrari miles.
She wasn’t the one acquainted face. A key duo from his time at Mercedes – new deputy crew principal Jerome D’Ambrosio and chassis technical director Loic Serra – can even be figures of familiarity this yr for the Brit.
And naturally, there’s the crew principal himself, Fred Vasseur, who labored with Hamilton all the way in which again in 2006, when a fresh-faced Brit gained the GP2 title – his last step earlier than F1.
Lezioni di Italiano
The primary public glimpse of Hamilton’s Italian got here final week, as he spoke to followers at a sponsor occasion.
Studying from a telephone, his pronunciation and accent weren’t half dangerous. He revealed this week he has been receiving common classes. As for Duolingo? Not for him.
An amusing phase in the beginning of an interview with Sky Sports activities Italia on Wednesday noticed a uncommon sight: Hamilton squirming in entrance of the digital camera. Mercifully, the remainder of the interview was performed in English.
However, Hamilton’s debut yr with the crew can be vastly ameliorated if he will get a grip on the native tongue rapidly.
Barcelona testing… and crashing
Hamilton’s subsequent expertise in a Ferrari automobile was with every week of TPC (Testing of Earlier Vehicles) testing and every week of Pirelli tyre testing, with a sit up for subsequent yr’s slimmer tyres.
A lot was product of Hamilton the 2023 automobile in week one however, as Hamilton hinted on Wednesday, he was merely trying to discover the restrict of the automobile early on.
“I undoubtedly did that,” he smiled, when requested about his check. “I’ve loved the testing that we’ve had. I’ve needed to discover the boundaries as rapidly as doable as a result of I’ve solely had a handful of days. It’s simply been enjoyable.”
Historical past reveals us, too, {that a} is not any dangerous factor for Hamilton.
Lap occasions , too, the place he trailed teammate on the ultimate day – however occasions are at this stage irrelevant, with every driver following totally different programmes on behalf of the tyre producer.
Nevertheless, slowly however certainly, every lap helps the acclimatisation interval.
Adoration within the capital
Tuesday’s , F1 75 Reside in a nod to the game’s seventy fifth anniversary, was the proper alternative for Hamilton to bask within the ardour and pleasure of the British followers.
The day really, for a few of us, began out frustratingly. Ferrari have been the one crew to not maintain a media session for the 150-plus journalists on-site, with one eye on their very own crew launch a day later in Maranello.
But the second Hamilton arrived on the pink carpet all the way in which to host Jack Whitehall’s closing phase with all 20 drivers on stage, Ferrari’s new signing was the .
He even discovered a while to with teammate Leclerc. Whereas amicability might not final lengthy this yr, with each vying to be No 1, the early heat and respect between the pair is clear-cut.
First 2025 run and tree-cutting
Hamilton took to the cockpit of the 2025 automobile, the SF-25, on Wednesday at Fiorano.
And very like a month earlier, lots of of followers gathered on the bridge and banks overlooking the circuit for one last glimpse of their new hero earlier than pre-season testing in Bahrain subsequent week.
Positive, might have been a barely overzealous step. Nevertheless it merely emphasises the uncooked ardour and emotion of the tifosi: any sight of Hamilton is valued. His first race in Italy, at Imola in Could, ought to be a wonderful event.
Hamilton has appeared to embed himself inside Ferrari as appropriately as doable. His motorhome has been parked proper subsequent to Enzo Ferrari’s home. He has jogged the Fiorano observe recurrently, early within the morning. He can attend conferences with engineers rapidly, as he turns into attuned to a brand new automobile and engine.
However for now? From Maranello, all roads . Have Ferrari constructed a automobile able to difficult for the championship? Subsequent week, we’ll discover out.
And from there it’s Albert Park in Melbourne – a observe Hamilton has really solely gained twice at in 16 makes an attempt – and the . If the primary month ought to be something to go by, we’re in for a hell of a trip in 2025.
