Lewis Hamilton has spent most of his Formula 1 career as an enemy of the Tifosi, Ferrari’s iconic fanbase. But now ‘Hamilton mania’ is taking hold in Italy.
In his first two years in F1, Hamilton battled Ferrari drivers for the title. He lost out to Kimi Raikkonen by a single point in 2007, then beat Felipe Massa by the same margin a year later.
His triumph over Massa was particularly heartbreaking for the Ferrari faithful. The Brazilian crossed the line at Interlagos believing he was about to become champion, only for Hamilton to make a decisive overtake in the final sector.
His rivalry with Massa, and new teammate Fernando Alonso, continued into the following decade. In 2017, midway through Mercedes’ run of dominance, he faced a new challenge from the Scuderia’s Sebastian Vettel.
Hamilton won in Monza that year but faced boos on the podium, and he was subjected to the same treatment a year later. But those very same fans will now flock to his side.
According to reports, Hamilton’s first test will be on 21 January – less than two weeks’ time. It could be moved to a different day in the event of bad weather.
Ferrari fans expected to fill the streets before Lewis Hamilton’s first test
Speaking on the James Allen on F1 podcast, Italian journalist Robert Chinchero offered a preview of Hamilton’s first outing. The team are hoping to make it a low-key affair.
Fred Vasseur has already said that Hamilton won’t enjoy the same fanfare as Michael Schumacher did back in 1996. They want to focus entirely on the job at hand.
But that’s far easier said than done. While they may not be granted access to the Fiorano circuit, Ferrari fans will likely line the streets to greet Hamilton.
It could be a spectacle not seen in F1, or Italian sport, for ‘years’. And that’s potentially bad news for the local authorities.
“A kind of Hamilton mania has already started in Italy,” Chinchero said. “Since the New Year began, there is a big question mark that Italian Ferrari fans are trying to answer – when will the first test of Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari car take place?
“I cannot imagine the number of people that will be around the track. I’m expecting the Maranello and Fiorano streets will be filled with people. I’m expecting something that we haven’t seen in years. It will be hard work for the police.”
Emerson Fittipaldi warns Lewis Hamilton to expect one thing when he makes Ferrari debut
Hamilton is looking to emulate Juan Manuel Fangio by winning the title for Ferrari in his 40s. He celebrated the landmark birthday on Tuesday.
He’s statistically the biggest signing in Ferrari’s history and potentially the key to ending their drought. The Tifosi haven’t been able to celebrate a drivers’ title since Raikkonen’s ’07 success.
Indeed, F1 fans voted Hamilton and Charles Leclerc as the best line-up. As long as they don’t take too many points off one another, they could be hard to beat with a contending car.
Emerson Fittipaldi says ‘the whole of Italy’ will stop when Hamilton makes his Ferrari debut. The challenge for the seven-time champion is to maintain his concentration amid the external hype.
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