“Emotional” Andrea Stella reacts to Lewis Hamilton’s debut with Ferrari: “A historic event for F1”. Andrea Stella did not hide his emotions upon seeing Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari.

Ferrari vs McLaren: another battle in 2025
McLaren approaches the 2025 season with the primary goal of defending the Constructors’ Championship title won last year when the Woking-based team triumphed over Ferrari after a long duel that was decided in Abu Dhabi. While the British team will return with both of its 2024 drivers, the same will not apply to Ferrari, which will still have Charles Leclerc but with Lewis Hamilton as his teammate, replacing Carlos Sainz.

The emotions of a former Ferrari man
The Prancing Horse is aiming for an immediate attack, now bolstered by the seven-time world champion. Lewis Hamilton’s arrival and presentation even stirred emotions in Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal. Speaking to Sky Sports, the Orvieto-born engineer admitted: “Watching from afar, I can say that, given how things have gone, Hamilton’s start at Ferrari has been a great one. To be honest, as a Formula 1 fan, and having spent 15 years at Ferrari before him, I felt emotional. It’s a historic event for Formula 1—a seven-time world champion joining Ferrari, one of the sport’s most iconic teams. I think Ferrari and Hamilton have managed this situation very well.”

What matters is the track
Andrea Stella shared his feelings about seeing Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari red, but this does not change McLaren’s ambitions. On the contrary, the team intends to challenge the Briton and his new squad right from the start of the season: “In the end, I’m sure they know very well that what matters is what happens on the track,” he added. “After the initial excitement, I’m sure they will focus entirely on preparation, and on our side, we will try to make life difficult for them.”