All eyes were on Ferrari’s factory at Maranello and their private Fiorano test track as Lewis Hamilton made his first public appearance on Monday.
A group of Ferrari fans were able to greet Lewis Hamilton as he arrived in Italy to begin his latest – and potentially final – chapter in Formula 1.
The Scuderia have had a year to prepare for Hamilton’s first day at Ferrari after confirming his move at the beginning of February 2024.
It meant last season played out with one eye on the future for the Scuderia despite Carlos Sainz’s brilliant performances.
Team principal Frederic Vasseur’s decision to stick with Charles Leclerc was justified given he outscored the Spaniard, but he’s likely to face a much tougher challenge in 2025.
Hamilton may have had a few struggles at Mercedes last year, but he’s still a seven-time world champion and his performances during the races in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi highlighted his potential.
One of the most important people in the saga to convince Hamilton to leave Mercedes for Ferrari was chairman John Elkann.
A video shared by Autoracer has shared some behind-the-scenes looks at Hamilton’s first day with his new team.
Among the hundreds of people Hamilton was meeting for the first time, he also spent some one-on-one time with Elkann while taking some photos.
Their conversation could be heard and highlighted just how excited Elkann and Hamilton were about their upcoming partnership.
Lewis Hamilton ‘so excited’ after John Elkann talk on his first day at Ferrari
In a discussion outside of Enzo Ferrari’s house, Elkann and Hamilton can be seen chatting as they wait to have their photos taken.
When asked if they want any more photos, Hamilton says: “No, you’re the boss, you don’t have to!
READ MORE: Ferrari chairman John Elkann names the key advantage Lewis Hamilton has over Carlos Sainz
Elkann then says: “The future’s good,” to which Hamilton replies: “I’m so excited! I really appreciate it, I’m so, so grateful buddy, thank you so much!”
They then both say to each other: “All in the future,” and Hamilton adds: “Yes, absolutely!” Before thanking the camerapeople and staff waiting for them.
The role John Elkann played in signing Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari
Hamilton’s relationship with Vasseur is well documented but he wasn’t the only person at Ferrari who was doing their due diligence on the seven-time world champion.
Elkann is already friends with Hamilton and spoke to him on the phone on several occasions before the Brit eventually decided to commit to the project.
A report from F1’s official website explains that talks started to get more formal in the winter of 2023 when Ferrari laid out their short to medium-term plans and how they could involve Hamilton.
READ MORE: Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family
After two seasons without a victory, it’s easy to see why Hamilton was so tempted to join the team he’d dreamed of racing for throughout his career.
The 2024 campaign would have been a nervy one for Hamilton though, as he watched on to see if Mercedes suddenly fixed their issues with ground effect cars and what Ferrari’s trajectory looked like.
Right now, it appears to be a correct decision but that may change as soon as the cars take to the track in Bahrain for pre-season testing.
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