Lewis Hamilton’s debut with Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton’s first time at Maranello, at least as an official Ferrari driver, created a media buzz during the long, quiet January of Formula 1 with the engines off. This debut has already produced iconic content in its own way: the photo with the F40 in front of Enzo Ferrari’s office-house in Fiorano (with its almost mystical symbolism), the first laps behind the wheel of the SF-23 with the emotional eyes of his mother Carmen and father Anthony watching, the “sneaky” screenshots showing the presence of the legendary athletic trainer Angela Cullen in a red suit. Two unforgettable days that, on the Scuderia’s YouTube channel, became a 9-minute film to tell, with a slightly intrusive but not too much, the behind-the-scenes of Sir Lewis Hamilton’s first steps as a Ferrari driver.
Hamilton-Ferrari, the mini-film of the debut
The tone is almost like a Hollywood blockbuster, with a soundtrack that alternates between epic and intimate to emphasize the most touching moments. In the first part of the video, Hamilton smiles, shakes hands with factory workers and office employees, often caught by surprise to find themselves suddenly face-to-face with one of the legends in racing history. “I’ve waited for this day my whole life, I’m very happy,” says the former Mercedes driver, before hugging team principal Frederic Vasseur (who had been one of his mentors at the start of his career) and chatting casually with his new engineer Riccardo Adami, as well as with the company leaders John Elkann and Benedetto Vigna.
Lewis Hamilton and the Italian test
There are also some witty exchanges with teammate Charles Leclerc and with Oliver Bearman, the young Ferrari Academy driver who will be loaned to Haas this year to gain experience. At times, Lewis Hamilton also speaks in Italian. His knowledge of the language doesn’t go beyond basic pleasantries, as shown by his halting pronunciation in a speech to employees, read from his phone in recent days and quickly going viral. His “buongiorno,” “come stai?” and “tutto bene” seem to show a sincere desire to get involved and speak like the people who will work with him in the coming months.
The historic debut in Fiorano
The same goes for his look when, before going out on track for the first time in the red suit, he walks out of the Fiorano garage to stroll on the asphalt of the straight. It’s cold, and Lewis looks around like a child among toys. “I can’t believe it,” he says. He can’t believe he’s there, perhaps forgetting his seven world titles, 105 GP wins, and 104 pole positions in 356 F1 races: “I’ve seen a lot of pictures of this place… Yesterday morning I walked three laps, it was amazing. Down there is a hairpin, when I looked toward the pits, every time I thought ‘Oh my God!’” Then Hamilton gazes at the horizon hidden by fog and becomes serious, almost moved by the idea of his first time with Ferrari: “It’s a big dream to be here, to live this experience. Mom and dad are here too… It’s been a long journey.”
— see video above —
